Virtual Stores and Their Impact on Consumer Goods Case Study

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

Issues

The first issue is the lack of trust consumers place in virtual stores. Kimberly-Clark Corp. has created a virtual store that allows shoppers to browse products and purchase them within the same experience. The problem with this is that there is no real connection between the shopper and the product they are buying (O’Brien & Marakas, 2011). Further, the consumers are not familiar with how these stores work, and they may not know how much information about them is being shared with them. For customers to feel comfortable using virtual stores, there needs to be a better way to understand the information shared with them and how it is shared.

The second issue is that consumers do not know what they will buy or how much it will cost. This situation causes a lot of confusion for the consumer, who may not understand why they have been charged for something they did not order or need. Another issue that can arise is that the images shown online may not represent the product being purchased. This scenario can cause even more confusion within the consumer’s mind because what they see online may not be what they will receive when they get their product.

The third issue is customer loyalty programs and payment options. Customers may have difficulty adapting to new payment methods because they are unfamiliar with them, or they may find themselves unable to make payments due to financial issues or other reasons (Peukert, C., Pfeiffer, J., Meißner, M., Pfeiffer, T., & Weinhardt, C., 2019). For customers to feel more comfortable using virtual stores there needs to be a better way for them to access their accounts when they want or need it.

Analysis

Kimberly-Clark Corp. has these alternatives to address the issues identified in the study. One alternative would be to provide a wide range of products online and in physical stores. If Kimberly-Clark Corp. selects this alternative, it gives customers more options than just one or two products from a company’s lineup. If Kimberly-Clark Corp. chooses this alternative, it will allow the company to test new ideas with new products without investing in production facilities or inventory.

The second alternative is to offer customers access to reviews on products they have bought before to help them see how their previous purchases compare to other products on their website. If Kimberly-Clark Corp selects this alternative, customers will know what product they are buying before making a purchase decision (O’Brien & Marakas, 2011). This helps in reducing buyer’s remorse when it comes time for them to make a purchase decision again at another time.

The third way to address this issue would be to create an online store accessible via any internet-enabled device. If Kimberly-Clark Corp selects this alternative, it will allow consumers to search for products at their desks or on the go, eliminating the difficulty of finding a physical location and waiting in line (Lombart, C., Millan, E., Normand, J. M., Verhulst, A., Labbé-Pinlon, B., & Moreau, G., 2020). If Kimberly-Clark Corp selects this alternative, it would further allow the consumers to compare shops and purchase more product options than they could ever find in one place.

Recommendation

The authors of this case study recommend implementing a strategy that allows customers to browse through products and services before making a purchase decision. This interaction would let customers see how much they would like something and whether or not it is worth buying. This strategy could be implemented by allowing customers to search for products and services via keywords such as “shoes,” “clothing,” or “bikes.” The writer recommends implementing a strategy that allows shoppers to compare prices between different retailers. This strategy could be implemented by offering discounts on certain items if customers sign up for an email list or join a loyalty program.

One way to implement this is by creating a virtual store for the company. People can use digital marketing tools like Facebook or Twitter to advertise their brand and show off new products or styles. These digital marketing tools will allow customers to interact with products from their homes or offices rather than from physical stores. People can even include videos of the products being worn or used so people can see what they look like on real people instead of just models on websites or catalogues.

References

Lombart, C., Millan, E., Normand, J. M., Verhulst, A., Labbé-Pinlon, B., & Moreau, G. (2020). Effects of physical, non-immersive virtual and immersive virtual store environments on consumers’ perceptions and purchase behavior. Computers in Human Behavior, 110, 106374.

O’Brien, J. A., & Marakas, G. M. (2011). Developing business/IT solutions. Management Information Systems, 488489, 74-89.

Peukert, C., Pfeiffer, J., Meißner, M., Pfeiffer, T., & Weinhardt, C. (2019). Shopping in virtual reality stores: The influence of immersion on system adoption. Journal of Management Information Systems, 36(3), 755-788.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2023, August 17). Virtual Stores and Their Impact on Consumer Goods. https://ivypanda.com/essays/virtual-stores-and-their-impact-on-consumer-goods/

Work Cited

"Virtual Stores and Their Impact on Consumer Goods." IvyPanda, 17 Aug. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/virtual-stores-and-their-impact-on-consumer-goods/.

References

IvyPanda. (2023) 'Virtual Stores and Their Impact on Consumer Goods'. 17 August.

References

IvyPanda. 2023. "Virtual Stores and Their Impact on Consumer Goods." August 17, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/virtual-stores-and-their-impact-on-consumer-goods/.

1. IvyPanda. "Virtual Stores and Their Impact on Consumer Goods." August 17, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/virtual-stores-and-their-impact-on-consumer-goods/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Virtual Stores and Their Impact on Consumer Goods." August 17, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/virtual-stores-and-their-impact-on-consumer-goods/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1