An Analaysis Of Sino-russian Consumer Behavior In Cross-border E-commerce

The purpose of this thesis is to provide details of and to examine the key considerations of a prospective merchant who is seeking to successfully understand Russian and Chinese consumer behavior.The information contained in this research documents the building blocks of setting up and running a successful and prosperous Russian-Chinese e-Business.It includes the importance of implementing the correct marketing mix,payment system and obligatory requirements surrounding legality and covers an overview of the cross-border e-commerce trade.The practical component is based on information about the online consumer behavior of Russian and Chinese citizens.Based on my evaluation,Russian and Chinese e-commerce is growing rapidly as ‘broadband' connections are becoming more conventional.Both countries provide a wealth of opportunity for any online retailer,whether they are domestically operated or an international entity.Currently,Russia has the highest amount of online users in Europe however;the Chinese online retail market possesses a wide range of business opportunities to the companies which engage in the Chinese e-business market.In order to successfully assess the variables,a mixed sample consisting of Russian and Chinese participants was selected.An online questionnaire was formulated and distributed to the population sample.The content of the questionnaire covered the major influences of consumer buying behavior,namely personal,social,psychological and cultural characteristics,along with consumer beliefs and attitudes.The use of an online questionnaire as the primary data collection method was deemed appropriate because the study focuses on online users consumer behavior.The findings of this research have confirmed that,in cross-border e-commerce,the “perceived marketing mix” and “reputation” impacted the consumers' attitude of adopting online shopping.The results also indicate that online retailers can readily determine the expectations of online consumers as well as the determinants of online consumers' behavior.It was concluded that:1.For both Chinese and Russian customers,the essential disadvantages of online shopping are security concerns,inaccurate product descriptions and not having the opportunity of physically trying the goods,all of which are related to product reliance.2.Chinese and Russian consumers are both hesitant in trusting the reliability of a virtual retailer.This lack of trust can significantly affect customers' online purchasing behavior particularly in regard to consumer loyalty.3.Religious beliefs and preferences were not an influencing factor in the consumer buying decision making process for products.4.Consumption levels of payment modes also differ between Russian and Chinese online shoppers.Older generation Russian consumers prefer cash on delivery or direct money transfer for their online purchases.Whilst the younger generation of Russian consumers prefer Qiwi wallet,a virtual payment system.Alibaba's Alipay system is the most popular payment platform across all generations of Chinese consumers.5.The cultural and technical obstacles resulting from language barriers are also a major concern for Chinese and Russian consumers.6.Peak online shopping periods in Russia are December 31 New Year,Russian Orthodox Christmas on January 7 and International Women's Day on March 8.While in China the peak online shopping periods are Singles Day on 11 November and during Chinese Spring Festival.The research findings indicate that online retailers could better realize the expectations and determinates of their online consumers behavior by understanding the key drivers impacting attitudes towards cross-border online shopping.By doing so,online retailers would be able to more efficiently and effectively formulate the implementation of their e-business strategy in order to possess a stronger competitive advantage.For example,online vendors should pay more attention to applying the marketing mix of high product quality,lower price.They should also include either a discounted or free delivery fee into this mix or offer a free gift in order to successfully build,enhance,and maintain their good reputation.