Electronic Retailing: Mapping the past for informing the future

Abstract

ABSTRACT The continuous growth of information and technology has resulted in considerable changes in the retailing environment, with a restriction on brick-and-mortar retailing and a push toward online retailing. The purpose of this study is to map the available literature on e-tailing in order to forecast where the field might be headed in the coming years and to identify the key features that contribute to e-tailing businesses. The paper employs an integrative review methodology and bibliometric method as a computational tool, and selected Web of Science and SCOPUS database(s), to identify the most productive research disciplines and countries that conduct the majority of e-tailing research. The study examines major themes such as consumer behavior and perception, technology and media, pricing strategies, channel integration, cognitive impact, business strategies, and models, and channel strategies to provide a comprehensive framework of e-tailing. This is the first study to present a thorough picture of e-tailing by identifying topics, research evolution, annual publishing trends, and the most relevant journals. The study offers future research areas in the form of thematic propositions and advocates greater research into upcoming trends such as voice assistants, chatbots, AI, and direct-to-consumer markets while adding relevant concepts.