Profiling Consumer to Consumer E-Commerce using Facebook

Abstract

Modern retailing is being shaped by consumer-to-consumer (C2C) electronic commerce, or e-commerce. Although social media as an economic vehicle can result in varying customer value and, therefore, has the potential to create customer interactions that lie outside the reach for conventional C2C e-commerce actors, though a large amount of C2C e-commerce occurs on social media-driven platforms (like Facebook), it has remained a largely unexplored area of study. Therefore, this paper's goal is to discover and investigate various C2C e-commerce consumer profiles on social media. The data obtained from a quantitative study that focuses on C2C e-commerce is analysed using cluster analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. We offer and analyse four distinct customer profiles: apathetic, salvagers, bargain seekers, and enthusiasts.  These profiles show how valuable it is for consumers to trade used things with other Facebook members. Only one city data is captured. The ability to be generalized of the results may be impacted by cultural variations in opinions of Facebook's function and C2C online buying. Self-reported data served as the foundation for the cross-sectional data set. According to the study, social media can provide a unique environment for consumer-to-consumer (C2C) electronic commerce, which could lead to distinctive customer experiences.  Second, in order to evaluate future value creation possibilities and obstacles, businesses should carefully investigate how their current segments align with the customer traits described in this research (enthusiasts, value seekers, salvagers, and apathetic).  Third, in order to provide their customers with the advantages that are unique to C2C e-commerce, traditional stores should consider the potential of serving as a platform for cross-selling or other forms of C2C interaction. This study is one of the earliest attempts to identify C2C customers of internet retailers in relation to social media. It's interesting to see that the profiles vary according to people's perceptions of value rather than usual customer demographics. When taken as a whole, they provide intriguing empirical access to investigate the possibilities and ramifications of social media-driven C2C e-commerce.