ADAPTATION OF B2C E-COMMERCE TO THE CONDITIONS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

The e-commerce market is a sector of the economy that is developing dynamically in recent decades, due to the active introduction of ICT in modern society. Modern businesses are gradually moving to trade via the Internet to expand their capabilities, but until now, there were many businesses that preferred traditional trade. The outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has significantly affected this area, and especially B2C trade, due to the need for social distancing. It should be noted that this economic shock has not only negative aspects for business, including e-business, but also opportunities for development. Therefore, there is a question of selection of measures of adaptation to new restrictions of external environment and new needs of consumers, which would provide not only survival in the existing conditions, but also prosperity. The purpose of the article is to select a set of measures for the adaptation of Ukrainian enterprises in the field of e-commerce B2C to the threats and opportunities that have arisen in the context of COVID-19. The article identifies the place of e-commerce in e-business. The main forms of e-commerce are indicated and the essence of B2C commerce is substantiated. The list of key players of the global B2C e-commerce market and the main participants in the Ukrainian market is given. The volume of the global B2C e-commerce market in 2019 is indicated. Data on market volume and share in GDP by European countries in 2019 are presented. The main limitations that stand in the way of dynamic development of e-commerce enterprises are identified. The tendency of change of B2C e-commerce efficiency indicators during February 17 – September 9, 2020 is analyzed. The main challenges facing modern enterprises in the field of e-commerce and priority areas for efficiency are identified. A set of measures for adaptation of Ukrainian B2C e-commerce enterprises to the conditions of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic is proposed, namely six groups: data collection and processing, costs and efficiency, value proposition, priority promotion channels, customer attraction and retention strategy, pricing and promotions.