THE ESSENCE AND FEATURES OF E-COMMERCE AS AN ELEMENT OF TRADING BUSINESS

Abstract

The article presents the main approaches to defining the essence of the category "e-commerce" and identifies its features as an element of the trading business. A comparative description is given of e-commerce and e-trade, which are often identified as the same in literary sources. The content of the definition of "e-commerce" from a legal and economic point of view is outlined. The vision of leading domestic scientists and practitioners regarding the interpretation of the concept in literary sources is studied, on the basis of which the following approaches to the formation of this category are determined. In particular, as a type of economic activity, as a form of doing business using Internet resources, and as a set of business processes in the field of trade, implemented in an online business environment. The main concepts of interpretation of the category "e-commerce" are described.

The article also identifies the features of e-commerce as a form of conducting a trading business, which include the following: a focus on the formation of a system of interconnections between participants in the trading process; it is a type of commerce, the effectiveness of which depends on the level of digitalisation of both an individual enterprise and the country as a whole; a type of economic activity that is carried out without geographical affiliation to sales markets; a type of commerce that involves the application of the principles of electronic payment; an activity that requires certain costs with their subsequent support (automation, market research, etc.). The advantages and disadvantages of implementation under modern economic conditions are also identified. Based on the results of the study, the author's definition of "e-commerce" is proposed, which is suggested to be understood as a system of trade relations implemented through electronic information systems and digital tools in order to ensure the achievement of the interests of their participants.