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Social Media: A New Frontier for Retailers?

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Book cover European Retail Research

Part of the book series: European Retail Research ((ERR))

Abstract

During the last two decades the retailing industry is finding itself in a state of constant evolution and transformation. Globalization, mergers and acquisitions, and technological developments have drastically changed the retailing landscape. The explosive growth of the Internet has been one of the main catalysts in this process. The effects of the Internet have been mostly felt in retail sectors dealing mainly with intangibles or information products. But these are not likely to be limited to these sectors; increasingly retailers of physical products realize that the empowered, sophisticated, critical and well-informed consumer of today is essentially different to the consumer they have always known. The web, and particularly what is known as Social Media or Web 2.0, have given consumers much more control, information and power over the market process, posing retailers with a number of important dilemmas and challenges. This article explains what the new face of the Internet, widely referred to as Web 2.0 or Social Media, is, identifies its importance as a strategic marketing tool and proposes a number of alternative strategies for retailers. Implementing such strategies will allow retailers not only to survive, but also create competitive advantages and thrive in the new environment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Management and Governance, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands

    Efthymios Constantinides

  2. Faculty of Economics and Business, Department of Marketing, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

    Carlota Lorenzo Romero & Miguel A. Gómez Boria

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  1. Efthymios Constantinides
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  2. Carlota Lorenzo Romero
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  3. Miguel A. Gómez Boria
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Bernhard Swoboda Dirk Morschett Thomas Rudolph Peter Schnedlitz Hanna Schramm-Klein

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© 2008 Gabler | GWV Fachverlage GmbH, Wiesbaden

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Constantinides, E., Romero, C.L., Boria, M.A.G. (2008). Social Media: A New Frontier for Retailers?. In: Swoboda, B., Morschett, D., Rudolph, T., Schnedlitz, P., Schramm-Klein, H. (eds) European Retail Research. European Retail Research. Gabler Verlag, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-8349-8099-1_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-8349-8099-1_1

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  • Publisher Name: Gabler Verlag, Wiesbaden

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-8349-1084-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-8349-8099-1

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