E-commerce (e-commerce) refers to a business model that conducts business activities through information technology means such as the Internet, and its emergence and development have brought great changes around the world. In China, for example, the rapid development of e-commerce over the past few decades has driven the rapid growth of the Chinese economy. However, in western developed countries, the development of e-commerce has not received the same degree of support and attention. Why is there a huge difference between the attitudes of developed countries in the West towards e-commerce and China?
First of all, developed countries in the West have mature offline retail markets. In contrast, China's offline retail market was relatively underdeveloped 30 years ago, and the overall level of the retail industry was low, which led to the boom of e-commerce. In western developed countries, the retail industry has formed a complete and mature system, and there are a large number of physical stores and shopping malls in the market, where customers can easily buy all kinds of goods. This makes the demand for e-commerce in Western developed countries relatively low, and there is no need to pay special attention to and support e-commerce.
Second, developed countries in the West pay more attention to privacy and data protection. In e-commerce, users need to provide sensitive information such as personal information and bank account numbers, and the leakage and abuse of such information will pose a certain threat to users' privacy and rights and interests. Due to the high level of emphasis on privacy and data protection in Western society, strict regulations and policies have been put in place to protect consumers' privacy rights. However, the development of e-commerce is often accompanied by the risk of information leakage, which conflicts with the values of Western developed countries and also restricts the development of e-commerce in Western developed countries.
In addition, there is a strong presence in traditional retailers. In developed countries in the West, traditional retailers have been developing for decades, with a wide customer base and a huge market share. These retailers usually have established long-term cooperative relations with the best merchants, mastered the rich chain resources, and established a stable sales network. Traditional retailers are a great threat to e-commerce competition, they have a first-mover advantage and strong market influence, and are unwilling to invest a lot of resources and energy in e-commerce. In addition, traditional retailers have more funds and resources to cope with market competition, and it is easier for them to attract customers through large-scale advertising campaigns and campaigns.
Finally, cultural differences are also one of the factors influencing the attitude of western developed countries towards e-commerce. In Western society, traditional shopping is seen as a social activity and a way of leisure, and many people enjoy the process of shopping in physical stores, and like to go shopping with friends and enjoy shopping. In Chinese culture, shopping is more affordable and convenient, and the emergence of e-commerce has met people's shopping needs. This cultural difference has led to a low demand for e-commerce in developed countries in the West.
To sum up, the main reasons why developed countries in the West do not support e-commerce are: there is a mature offline retail market, more attention to privacy and data protection, and the strong influence and cultural differences of traditional retailers. Although e-commerce has not received the same degree of support and development in western developed countries, with the advancement and change of technology, e-commerce may gain more support and development opportunities in the future.