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Are We Speaking the Same Language? An Analysis of German and Chinese Local Shopping Platforms

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Perspectives in Business Informatics Research (BIR 2022)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing ((LNBIP,volume 462))

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Abstract

Local owner-operated retail outlets (LOOROs) are struggling worldwide due to increasing online competition with e-marketplaces and changing customer behavior. In this competitive environment, Local Shopping Platforms (LSPs) seem to be a promising vehicle to help LOOROs overcome their manifold digitalization difficulties. The development of LSPs in China shows that they convince LOOROs to join them and attract customers through their location-dependent service offers. In contrast, German LSPs struggle to utilize locational advantages, and LOOROs are discouraged from joining them. Hence, this paper examines existing Chinese LSP and compares them with German LSPs. Moreover, this study uses Hofstede’s cultural dimension as a theoretical lens to investigate if the offered location-dependent services among German and Chinese are culturally driven. The results revealed that Chinese LSPs better understand how to provide services that integrate the store as a customer touchpoint and strengthen the locational advantage of LOOROs. Regarding Hofstede’s cultural dimension, uncertainty avoidance is a cultural barrier for German LSPs and LOORO to try new digital services compared to their more adaptable Chinese counterparts.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Technische Universität Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany

    Sören Aguirre Reid & Richard Lackes

  2. Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen, Giessen, Germany

    Markus Siepermann

  3. Fachhochschule Südwestfalen, Soest, Germany

    Valerie Wulfhorst

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  1. Sören Aguirre Reid
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  2. Richard Lackes
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  3. Markus Siepermann
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  4. Valerie Wulfhorst
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Correspondence to Sören Aguirre Reid .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Riga Technical University, Riga, Latvia

    Ērika Nazaruka

  2. Rostock University, Rostock, Germany

    Kurt Sandkuhl

  3. Jönköping University, Jönköping, Sweden

    Ulf Seigerroth

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Aguirre Reid, S., Lackes, R., Siepermann, M., Wulfhorst, V. (2022). Are We Speaking the Same Language? An Analysis of German and Chinese Local Shopping Platforms. In: Nazaruka, Ē., Sandkuhl, K., Seigerroth, U. (eds) Perspectives in Business Informatics Research. BIR 2022. Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing, vol 462. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-16947-2_9

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