Exploratory study about online shopping in Iraq
the opinions of regular users
Dr. Fadi Hassan Jaber
senior researcher
Interpreter by Faisal Akab
IFPMC-LONDON
August 2021
Introduction:
Online shopping in Iraq is most efficient phenomenon with a major impact commercially that is practiced at the wholesale or retail sector level. Therefore, the study came to find out the most prominent features and qualities of online shopping in Iraq according to the opinions of regular customers who rely or prefer online shopping almost every day. Online shopping needs influencing factors in order to assist it become a higher level in order to provide the best marketing services as well as the highest quality in finishing its task by relying on financial transactions and electronic evaluation according to the nature of the services presented, as well as e-shopping operations requires advertising towards choosing the best available platform for customers to receive services. The study identified the biggest issue which is Word of Mouth (WOM), Word of mouth expresses trust or word of commitment between the two parties, reliability in the electronic business process is very important, especially the study sample showed that with regard to the goods presented are not similar to the goods that are received from the customers, also they did not receive it in the right agreed time. The study confirms that e-shopping in Iraq is very promising and a fertile investment land, accomplishing a growth rate at high levels that can be increased in the future due to high consumer nature in Iraq. The nature of the study is exploratory, which included a sample of 105 online shoppers in Iraq.
1: revising the idea of e-commerce.
E-commerce is divided into several types, the first being the operations that take place between business and each other. Business to business also known as B2B, which is the most popular type of trade and dominates 90% of the online trading industry. Followed by the second type which is Business to Consumer (B2C). The third type of e-commerce is the interaction between the business and the government, which usually includes auctions, government tenders, procurement. The fourth type is the interaction between two governments, this has just recently begun with the initiation of e-governments, and it may have a helpful role in paying taxes electronically with the development of e-commerce. The final type is the interaction between consumers two consumers. Figure Number (1) shows the types of transactions in electronic commerce
2: The characteristics and advantages of online shopping.
Online shopping has many advantages as a new shopping method (4):
- Ease of searching for the required commodity online as a result of the availability of a huge amount of information about commodity specifications, Prices, maintenance, and the comparison with other available commodities.
- Direct purchase, where consumers do not need to confront salesmen and their continuous attempts to persuade consumers to buy.
- Helping customers choose high quality products.
- Reaching the customer to global markets and getting to know their products.
- Availability of information for 24 hours
- The ability of buying and shopping from the office or home.
- Ease and speed of transactions.
2: problems and challenges of online shopping.
Despite the advantages that e-shopping fulfils at the present time, especially in developed countries. It still suffers from some problems represented in the following (1).
- Problems and challenges facing marketers:
- Lack of awareness is a barrier to online shopping as a low potential consumer base discourages commercial efforts to create websites for consumers to shop and buy (3).
- How to maintain privacy for individuals, as this is an essential element to ensure the users trust in this type of shopping, and the security and confidentiality of information is a key factor for the growth and encouragement of this type of shopping.
- The cultural and social background of the consumer who resists change, as online shopping requires a change in purchasing behaviour, which is not accepted by the shoppers.
- Credit cards are the most common way to pay for purchases via the Internet, so the decrease in the number of credit cards may limit this type of shopping.
- Problems of protection and insurance against risks and problems of protection guarantees for the movement of electronic exchanges that take place between the parties to the transaction, whether they are sellers / buyers / banks … etc.
2: Problems and challenges facing shoppers.
- Lack of knowledge of how to conduct transactions on the Internet.
- The lack of computers in many families, and even if it is available, shopping and dealing through it is unfamiliar, especially for family members who make purchasing decisions such as mother and father.
- Online shopping leads to a loss of the well-known shopping pleasure that families used to find in the practice of the shopping process through direct social interaction between the seller and the buyer, and it also leads to a reduction in family interaction opportunities as a result of diminishing traditional shopping opportunities, which are considered for some families the only opportunity for a walk or entertainment.
- Some were involved in a rush to buy goods that an individual may not need as a result of the attractiveness of advertising and the ease of buying with credit cards, and thus the accumulation of personal and family debts.
- The possibility of fictitious contracts and theft due to the inability to verify the identity of the sellers, and the possibilities of commercial fraud or theft exist, as the requested commodity may not be returned or may come with different specifications.
- The inability of the consumer to see or examine the commodity before purchasing it.
- Language represents an obstacle to a good number of dealers who only master the Arabic language.
3: Survey questions directed to the study sample.
The first question: The most consumed goods that are purchased through online shopping are clothes, according to the opinions of the study sample, as shown in Figure (2).
The second question: Which electronic platforms are most used in purchases, and I think the study sample goes towards the Facebook platform (and this is consistent with the opinions of many of the study that confirm that the Facebook platform is the most used at the present time, but there is competition in the coming period from rather a platform Instagram) as shown in Figure (3).
The third question: What are the most prominent defects in electronic shopping in Iraq, and many of the answers went towards the fact that the offered goods do not resemble the goods that are received in terms of specifications and characteristics. In the second place, there was also a lack of commitment to the time that is agreed upon between the seller and the buyer. As shown in Figure (4)
The fourth question: Do customers receive the goods or service according to the agreed time, and here came the results of the opinions of the study sample (sometimes) and with an unsecured percentage. The customer receives the goods on time. This indicates the absence of specialized companies with advanced technological programs in the service of delivering products. The traditional methods of doing work, as shown in Figure (5)
The fifth question: Does the study sample depend on a specific application in obtaining electronic shopping services? Opinions indicated that there is no specific application at a rate of 65.3%, and this is because of the lack of awareness and lack of interest in the culture of electronic shopping through specialized electronic stores and applications that are the important guarantor in commercial operations for this There are a lot of fraud and electronic scams. As shown in Figure (6)
The sixth question: Does the study sample respond to electronic advertisements that appear on electronic platforms? The opinions of the study sample came at a rate of 63.3%. They sometimes respond to electronic advertisements. Therefore, many electronic marketers rely on electronic advertisements as a good method of advertising, which can be developed in the event that whoever performs this task is One of the specialists and experienced in these works, as shown in Figure (7).
5: Conclusion.
This method of shopping has become a reality and a tangible action, and therefore we expect to get the same level of service that we receive when shopping normally. However, some researchers’ opinions believe that online shopping cannot replace regular markets, as shopping usually means roaming. Moving around and inquiring about the seller, and of course seeing the thing in its nature, touching it or experiencing it, but the Internet has special advantages if it is not possible to reach the real selling store itself because of the distance or any other reason, and it is also possible to find some of the best stores that no one has heard of from before. Since the activity of online shopping is increasing, as shown by statistics and studies, it is expected that this style of shopping will take a large part of the attention of consumers and marketers alike, due to its advantages over other means of shopping.
6: Suggestions.
- Simplicity in dealing with the internet, Customers seek ease and simplicity in dealing with the Internet, as well as obtaining the required information in a simpler way, and completing the required processes and transactions such as issuing purchase orders or orders quickly and easily, and therefore the absence of the element of simplicity in the Internet environment may negatively affect shopping through it.
- Handling quality, many companies seek to communicate with the customer, and this is by relying on the database prepared by the company about its customers. Through this base, the company can communicate with the customer, and then his desires and needs can be identified. It is worth noting that some websites provide excellent services to consumers, including that they remind them of information and their requests in previous times in order to avoid the trouble of filling in data. Therefore, companies’ awareness of the importance of communicating with the customer has a great impact on the adoption of electronic shopping.
- Following up with the customers, this is an important matter for the customer, by tracking purchase orders from start to finish, in order to achieve customer satisfactions.
References:
- Emad Al-Nono 2007, Online shopping – motives for adoption or rejection, a field study, PhD thesis, in Business Administration, The American University of the World, Palestine
- Bidad, F. ( 2017 ) “ MAIN FACTORS IN ONLINE SHOPPING BEHAVIOR IN IRAN “ Thesis , Degree Program in Business Management , CENTRIA UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES
- Smoliana , K. ( 2017 ), “ Consumer behaviour towards buying consumer electronics online: crossnational analysis “ Master Thesis , NORD UNIVERSITY
- ، Williams-Morgan E, A. (2017) “SOCIAL MEDIA ADOPTION IN BUSINESS: EXAMINING THE USES AND EXPERIENCES OF SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES IN JAMAICA” Thesis, Degree Program in Business Management , Capella University.
