Page 280 - Business Principles and Management

E-Commerce

Management Team

Decision-Making Event

Your management team will consist of two members. In addition to taking
a multiple-choice exam for e-commerce, you must develop a solution for
the following case study. You have 30 minutes to prepare your presenta-
tion using a laptop computer, if you wish. Your team is allowed 10 min-
utes to present your information to the judges, who will have five minutes
to ask questions.
The Pottery Stop has successfully operated for five years, selling pottery
and garden art along a busy highway in Texas. The mild climate allows the
business to remain open the entire year. Customers from all over the United
States are pleasantly surprised by the unique variety and quality of pottery
available. The shop customizes orders and will ship merchandise through-
out the United States for an additional shipping-and-handling fee. This fea-
ture is attractive to travelers who do not have room in their vehicles to haul
pottery or travelers who will be flying back home.
The Pottery Stop is now ready to expand by selling over the Internet.
You must develop a strategy to implement this new source of sales. You
must decide what information to include on the Web site. Describe the
kinds of pictures you will use and why. List the acceptable forms of pay-
ment and explain how credit card information will be secure. Describe
how you will advertise the Web site at the store.

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS EVALUATED
• Understand the economics of expanding business through e-commerce.
• Explain the importance of increasing distribution channels for goods
and services.
• Describe the links available on a successful Web site for e-commerce.
• Describe promotional materials that will be distributed at the store to
inform customers about buying merchandise online.
For more detailed information about performance indicators, go to the
DECA Web site.

THINK CRITICALLY
1. Why are businesses choosing to sell merchandise online?
2. Why are some consumers hesitant about purchasing merchandise
online?
3. Why should the Pottery Stop collect data about customers who
purchase online and at the store?

http://www.deca.org/

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