Sociocultural Factors Of Online Retailing

Over the years, the modern technology has rapid change many people’s life, actually people use technology every day and enjoy the convenience and advantages of it brought. the advanced appliances like computer, air-conditioner, washing machine etc. However, in different ways, it also brought the hazardous impact if treated inappropriately to the environment and the human health.

In today's hectic world people work longer hours and utilize more technology and energy more than ever. The impact that this is having on the environment is substantial in both negative and positive ways. It is hard to deny the benefits modern technology has produced for the world, in industry and in everyday life. With more and more technological breakthroughs, there have been many positive ecological impacts, but the negative impacts are almost overwhelming. A Perfect example would be the deforestation of our rain forests.

It is no surprise that the increase in online shopping among consumers has changed the traditional brick and mortar retail store. As more consumers shop online, brick and mortar retailers are shifting their in store retail systems to identify closer to a “just in time” inventory system, and shifting seasonal products while attempting to enhance the customer service experience to remain appealing and relevant (Ramos, 2010). Online retailers continue to push boundaries and generate innovative avenues to reach the consumer faster and more competitively without geographic boundaries, leaving brick and mortar retailers like Home Depot to renovate their own procedures and systems in store and online. One issue that plagued Home Depot was its outdated

In today’s society, information technology has developed to become an essential component of business processes within various industries and has irrevocably transformed the way businesses work by providing more productive, efficient and a more powerful means of producing resources. However, it has contributed to the world’s environmental challenges and caused detrimental effects on the environment via the pollution elicited by manufacturing, wasteful disposal of computers and components as well as the toxic chemicals used in the manufacturing process which can enter the food

Consumers are making purchases daily. There are a number of occasions and reasons prompting people to shop. Special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays all contribute to retail sales. Sustaining one’s daily life through purchase of food, clothing, personal hygiene products and cleaning products also contributes to the economy through commerce. How do most people like to shop? In recent years a new alternative to the traditional brick-and-mortar shopping, online shopping, has increased in popularity. “U.S. e-commerce sales grew from 72 billion U.S. dollars in 2002 to 228 billion U.S. dollars in 2010.” (“Online shopping,” n.d.,

It cannot be denied that, in at least some areas, the invention and progression of technology has benefitted the human race. With the growing industrialization of the world in the last centuries the lives of many people have been made easier. But, this growth of technology is not without its consequences and people are not without their concerns. While industrialization has had its benefits, the environmental cost of this progress is immense, and the impact it has on nature can be hard to swallow. It may seem like talk of the environment is something to be left to scientists or activists specializing in that particular field, but they are

In the world of commerce and retail today, there are a variety of retail stores that are all geared toward the customers who are interested in saving money and finding bargains on their daily purchases, as well as on some of their major purchases. Some of the retail stores that are in this category of low prices and discount prices are Big K-Mart, Wal-Mart, Inc., Fred’s Dollar Store, Family Dollar Store, and Ollie’s Bargain. Due to the increase in e-commerce and online purchases, several of these retail stores, such as Big K-Mart and Fred’s Dollar stores are closing in many areas of the country. Since there has been an increase in the demand for more sales and discounts by customers and there are less discounts stores available, retail stores

The department store industry has managed to survive many economic ups and downs, moreover they have found the way to remain in the top choices of consumer for shopping. Furthermore the technological advances represent a big challenge for this industry because the increased tendency for online shopping have forced

While being too focused on new, bright and shiny technological innovations, a lot of people don’t think about where their old obsolete technology goes or how it affects the environment. Electronic waste (E-waste) “...comprises electrical appliances such as fridges, air conditioners, washing machines, microwave ovens, and fluorescent light bulbs; and electronic products such as computers and accessories, mobile phones, television sets and stereo equipment” (Lundgren). Recycling electronic waste is expensive, so many developing countries receive E-waste from other countries (often times illegally) to extract valuable materials from the electronics to be used for the country’s benefit. Although the country recycling this waste benefits from an economical standpoint, the environmental and health standpoint isn’t so lucky. “...rudimentary recycling techniques coupled with the amounts of e-waste processed have already resulted in adverse environmental and human health impacts, including contaminated soil and surface water” (Lundgren). With an extreme lack in any sort of safety regulations, poor workers are taken advantage of and suffer the most because “...workers and communities are exposed to many highly toxic chemicals" (Marko) and it’s all because Americans don’t want to spend the money or take the time to properly recycle these products. The

The environment is becoming weak and defecated through a rise in industrialization. Increasing industry has caused many environmental issues and disasters to occur such as earthquakes, air pollution, and further medical issues for people.

Techno trash (or e-waste) is one of the negative impacts of new technology. It is the rubbish created by discarded electronics. Developed countries such as the U.S export 50% to 80% of their techno trash to poorer Asian countries. The discarded technology is processed by workers who do not have the right equipment to handle and safely recycle these tech materials. This puts the workers and community to high levels of toxic materials, which could turn towns and the surrounding area into contaminated dumps. The e-waste that isn’t transported to Asia ends up in local landfills and poses risks to the surrounding environment and communities. Technology is made up of a mixture of dangerous chemicals. The toxic chemicals can cause serious damage to the environment. Some of these chemicals include beryllium, cadmium, lead and

At one time JCPenney was considered the pentacle of discount shopping and was consistently growing. A heavy recession in 1974 was the first major obstacle for JCPenney and from there on forward it seemed difficult for the retailer to make progress in the magnitude it had the previous years; however the retailer continued to make profits. In 1998 JCPenney introduced its online catalog service; in the beginnings JCPenney’s catalog was strictly paper and a major player in its business strategy and profits. The introduction of the online shopping proved extremely beneficial for the company due to the online boom of the late 90’s and early 2000’s.

3-Sociocultural – “We may not timely identify or effectively respond to consumer trends or preferences, whether involving physical retail, digital retail or a combination of both retail offerings, which could negatively affect our relationship with our customers, the demand for our products and services, and our market share” (page 20)

Today’s customers are more aware and empowered, and have more bargaining power due to the exponential increase in competition – direct, indirect or substitute. In retailing, they want hassle-free shopping, have less time at their disposal to locate the shop and the merchandise and are reluctant to keep waiting. The modern format retail stores are doing their best to anticipate the customer’s demands and are going all out to redesign their store interiors, offer more choices in varieties and assortments, and are giving as many services as feasible.

Consumers have many choices when deciding where to purchase their goods. While retailer managers are deciding how to win the consumer’s business and increase revenue, they are also constantly trying to figure out ways to reduce costs. Technology helps retail managers improve areas of inventory and supply chain management as well as customer satisfaction and loss prevention (Green, 2002). This paper explains how technology