Author(s): Yangchuan Zhan
E-commerce, or electronic commerce, has revolutionized the retail industry, transforming the way businesses operate and consumers shop. This article explores the evolution of e-commerce from its inception to its current state, highlighting the key technological advancements and changes in consumer behavior that have driven its growth. It examines the benefits of e-commerce for businesses and consumers, including its global reach, convenience, cost-effectiveness, and personalization. The impact of e-commerce on businesses, such as increased competition, data-driven insights, improved customer engagement, and supply chain efficiency, is also discussed. Additionally, the article explores the impact of e-commerce on consumers, including increased choice, convenience, price comparison, and access to information. Finally, it looks at future trends in e-commerce, such as mobile commerce (m-commerce), voice commerce, Augmented Reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning, and discusses how these trends will shape the future of retail in the digital age.