Since its start, E-commerce has been changing the way we live, shop and do business. After the development process, e-commerce is divided into many types.
Generally, there are six main models of ecommerce that businesses can be categorized into:
- B2C.
- B2B.
- C2C.
- C2B.
- B2A.
- C2A.
Let’s review each type of electronic commerce in a bit more detail.
1. B2C: Business-to-Consumer.
B2C ecommerce encompasses transactions made between a business and a consumer. B2C is one of the most popular sales models in the e-commerce context. Buying shoes from an online retailer is an example of this type.
2. B2B: Business-to-Business.
Unlike B2C, B2B ecommerce encompasses sales made between businesses, such as a manufacturer and a wholesaler or retailer. This type happens only between businesses and is not consumer-facing. Traded goods are usually raw materials or products that are packaged before being sold to customers.
3. C2C: Consumer-to-Consumer.
C2C is one of the earliest forms of e-commerce. Customer-to-customer relates to the sale of products or services between customers, including retail transactions commonly found on Shopee or Sendo.
4. C2B: Consumer-to-Business.
C2B reverses the traditional ecommerce model, meaning individual consumers make their products or services available for business buyers.
For example, the iStockPhoto business model in which stock photos are available online for business to purchase directly from different photographers.
5. B2G: Business-to-Government.
B2G covers the transactions made between online businesses and government with the products and services related to legal documents, social security, etc.
6. C2G: Consumer-to-Government.
C2G is similar to B2G, but consumers sell online products or services to a governmental agency. C2G might include online consulting for education, online tax preparation, etc.
In the history of e-commerce, four models B2C, B2B, C2B and C2C developed earliest, have the highest popularity and are also considered as traditional types of e-commerce. B2G and C2G are two types developed later, focusing on improving the efficiency of government agencies with the support of information technology, facilitating management, and helping public services operate more smoothly and bring more convenience to people. In particular, businesses should carefully consider if they want to develop with the goal of applying B2G as they need to strictly comply with the provisions of the Enterprise Law under the control of state agencies.