A Short Guide on The Various E-Tailing Business Models
Online retail is not about a single entity being in business. There are a lot of merchants, who are selling their products through various styles. They all have their business models based on what they feel represents their brand in the most correct manner. Broadly speaking, there are four models on which businesses are built. They are: 1. Omni-channel merchants 2. Virtual merchants 3. Catalog merchants 4. Manufacturer-Direct merchants Omni-Channel Merchants: Also called omni-channel merchants, bricks-and-clicks companies have a network of physical stores as their primary retail channel, but also have online offerings. Omnichannel firms include Walmart, Macy’s, Sears, JCPenney, Staples, OfficeMax, Costco, Target, and other brand-name merchants. While bricks-and-clicks merchants face high costs of physical buildings and large sales staffs, they also have many advantages such as a brand name, a national customer base, warehouses, large scale (giving them lever