On-line Commerce and Town Centre Retailers' Experience

CABONI, FEDERICA;Bruni, Roberto

2015-01-01

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Abstract

This paper is an attempt to develop a new way to sell products or services for retailers within town centres. An analysis of the literature revealed that the use of the Internet and digital commerce strategies are rarely used as tools to revitalize urban retail and develop a multidimensional experience of place. Thus, this paper aims to highlight which new modes of online commerce—e-commerce, s-commerce and m-commerce—are more suitable than others to help town centre retailers revitalize the place where they work. The research questions are as follows: 1) What are the origins of the growth and development of new forms of selling? and 2) How might town centre retailers integrate new forms of selling with traditional retailing? In answering the previously stated questions, this paper provides a proposed model that, by combining physical and virtual means to sell products and services, can provide specific strengths in revitalizing town centres.