Image of E-commerce

E-commerce

Topic

One of Alibaba's two core businesses. The market in China is described as having gone through a phase of 'extreme competition' with multiple strong players like ByteDance.


First Mentioned

10/9/2025, 4:41:11 AM

Last Updated

10/9/2025, 4:50:37 AM

Research Retrieved

10/9/2025, 4:50:37 AM

Summary

E-commerce, or electronic commerce, is the buying and selling of products and services conducted online or over the Internet. It relies on a diverse set of technologies including mobile commerce, electronic funds transfer, and supply chain management. E-commerce is a significant component of the retail sector and the largest segment of the electronics industry, with its growth propelled by advancements in the semiconductor industry. As articulated by Joe Tsai, Chairman of Alibaba, e-commerce is one of Alibaba's core businesses, alongside cloud computing, and is crucial for the company's strategy in a competitive market.

Referenced in 1 Document
Research Data
Extracted Attributes
  • Definition

    Commercial activities including the electronic buying or selling products and services conducted on online platforms or over the Internet.

  • Driving Factor

    Technological advances of the semiconductor industry

  • Industry Sector

    Retail, Electronics Industry (largest segment)

  • Core Technologies

    Mobile commerce, electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, Internet marketing, online transaction processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory management systems, automated data collection systems

  • Customer Benefits

    Convenience, wider range of products, time-saving, ability to research products, compare prices, access user-generated ratings and reviews

  • Areas of E-commerce

    Online retailing, electronic markets, online auctions

  • Typical Transactions

    Purchase of physical products (e.g., books), digital products (e.g., music downloads), online bill payments

Timeline
  • Some e-commerce technologies were developed. (Source: web_search_results)

    1970s

  • The first online transaction occurred when someone sold a Sting CD to a friend for $12.48, plus shipping. (Source: web_search_results)

    1994-08-11

E-commerce

E-commerce (electronic commerce) refers to commercial activities including the electronic buying or selling products and services which are conducted on online platforms or over the Internet. E-commerce draws on technologies such as mobile commerce, electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, Internet marketing, online transaction processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory management systems, and automated data collection systems. E-commerce is a part of the retail, the largest segment of the electronics industry and is in turn driven by the technological advances of the semiconductor industry.

Web Search Results
  • E-commerce - Wikipedia

    E-commerce (electronic commerce) refers to commercial activities including the electronic buying or selling products and services which are conducted on online platforms or over the Internet.( E-commerce draws on technologies such as mobile commerce, electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, Internet marketing, online transaction processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory management systems, and automated data collection systems. E-commerce is a part of the retail, the [...] E-commerce typically uses the web for at least a part of a transaction's life cycle although it may also use other technologies such as e-mail. Typical e-commerce transactions include the purchase of products (such as books from Amazon "Amazon (company)")) or services (such as music downloads in the form of digital distribution such as the iTunes Store).( There are three areas of e-commerce: online retailing, electronic markets, and online auctions. E-commerce is supported by electronic [...] E-commerce brings convenience for customers as they do not have to leave home and only need to browse websites online, especially for buying products which are not sold in nearby shops. It could help customers buy a wider range of products and save customers' time. Consumers also gain power through online shopping. They are able to research products and compare prices among retailers. Thanks to the practice of user-generated ratings and reviews from companies like Bazaarvoice, Trustpilot, and

  • The History of eCommerce - How it All Started - Mayple

    Electronic commerce (or eCommerce) is the buying and selling of goods and services on the Internet. It involves online retailers and brands using eCommerce platforms or their own websites to accept payments, process and ship their products, and delight customers. The eCommerce industry has grown by leaps and bounds in the last few decades.

  • What is e-commerce? - McKinsey

    What is e-commerce? | McKinsey Skip to main content # What is e-commerce? | Article Print Save E-commerce, or electronic commerce, is the buying and selling of goods and services over the internet, on websites, mobile apps, or social media. By optimizing e-commerce as part of a broader digital-commerce transformation, sellers stand to attract more customers and earn more profits. [...] Simply put, e-commerce is anything—goods or services—bought or sold on the internet (see sidebar, “What are the different types of e-commerce?” for a description of e-commerce categories). E-commerce has been growing consistently ever since the first online transaction in 1994, when someone sold his friend a Sting CD for $12.48, plus shipping. But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, triggering lockdowns all over the world, customers went all in: Year-over-year growth of e-commerce as a share of

  • What Is Ecommerce? Guide To Selling Online (2025) - Shopify

    Ecommerce, short for electronic commerce, is the buying and selling of goods and services over the internet. It involves a transaction between two parties, usually a business and a consumer, where the payment and delivery of products or services are conducted online. [...] An ecommerce website is an online store that allows businesses to sell products or services over the internet to customers. Ecommerce websites can be designed to sell physical products, digital products, or services. They typically include features such as product catalogs, pricing information, customer reviews, order tracking, customer accounts, and payment processing systems. [...] Ecommerce is also known as e-commerce or electronic commerce, and is often used to refer to the wide range of tasks involved in selling online, from running digital ads to transferring payment data over a network. ### When did ecommerce start? What counts as the first ecommerce transaction is up for debate, with some ecommerce technologies developed as early as the 1970s.

  • The History Of Ecommerce: How Did It All Begin? - Miva Blog

    Ecommerce, or electronic commerce, is the buying and selling of products or services via the internet. For many Americans, ecommerce is something we participate in on a daily basis, like making an online bill payment or purchasing from an online seller. Ecommerce can take many forms and involve different transactions. For an in-depth look at the impact of ecommerce and the different types of online shopping, check out our article on the definition of ecommerce.

E-commerce (electronic commerce) is the activity of electronically buying or selling of products on online services or over the Internet. E-commerce draws on technologies such as mobile commerce, electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, Internet marketing, online transaction processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory management systems, and automated data collection systems. E-commerce is in turn driven by the technological advances of the semiconductor industry, and is the largest sector of the electronics industry.

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Location Data

e commerce, Irfan Street, North Nazimabad Block D, نارتھ ناظم آباد ٹاؤن, ضلع ناظم آباد, کراچی ڈویژن, سندھ, 74700, پاکستان

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Coordinates: 24.9407244, 67.0405925

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