- The study examines whether the pattern of development proposed by the Wheel of Retailing, which suggests retailers evolve from low differentiation/margin to high differentiation/margin operations, holds true for e-commerce practitioners selling on eBay. The study analyzes 1640 eBay sales and finds seller experience is significantly related to several measures, suggesting eBay sellers do evolve in a pattern consistent with the Wheel of Retailing, with some limitations.
- The Wheel of Retailing from the 1950s proposed retailers start with a low-price, low-margin strategy to acquire customers, then focus on higher margin customers over time who buy more frequently and are willing to pay more. The study examines if this pattern applies to sellers on eBay.
- The results