(Submitted for the Degree of B.

Com Honours in Accounting and

Finance under University of Calcutta)

E-COMMERCE: CONSUMER AWARENESS ON

ONLINE SHOPPING

(Case study on Amazon)

Submitted by:

Name of the candidate: Sahitya Sarkar

Registration Number: 017-1111-2433-18

Calcutta University Roll Number: 181017-21-1369

Name of the College: Bhawanipur Education

Society College

Supervised by:

Name of the supervisor: Rajesh Kumar Shaw

Name of the College: Bhawanipur Education

Society College

Month and Year of Submission:

30 JUNE
This is to certify that Mr./Ms SAHITYA SARKAR a student of B.Com. Honours in Accounting &
Finance / Marketing of Bhawanipur Gujarati Education College Society under the University
of Calcutta has prepared a Project Report with the title “E-COMMERCE: CONSUMER
AWARENESS ON ONLINE SHOPPING (case study on Amazon)” My contribution however, was
mainly in the form of general guidance and discussion.

Place: Signature:

Date: Name:

Designation:

Name of College: Bhawanipur Education

Society College

I hereby declare that the Project Work with the title (in the block letters)
“ECOMMERCE:CONSUMER AWARENESS ON ONLINE SHOPPING(case study on
Amazon)”submitted by me for the partial fulfillment of the degree of B.Com. Honours in
Accounting & Finance / Marketing under the University of Calcutta is my original work and
has not been submitted earlier to any other University /Institution for the fulfillment of the
requirement for any course of study. I also declare that no chapter of this manuscript in whole
or in part has been incorporated in this report from any earlier work done by others or by me.
However, extracts of any literature which has been used for this report has been duly
acknowledged providing details of such literature in the references.

Place: Kolkata Signature:

Name: Sahitya Sarkar

Address: 16/5, Dover Lave. Kol-29

C.U. Registration: 017-1111-2433-18

C.U Roll No: 181017-21-1369

 I respect and thank my supervisor Rajesh Kumar Shaw for providing me an
opportunity to do the commerce project and giving me all the support and
guidance which made me complete the project duly. This project has helped me
in doing a lot of research. I would also like to thank my parents and friends who
have helped me with their valuable suggestions and guidance, which has been
very helpful in completion of the project. All that I have done only due to such
supervision and assistance for which I would not forget to thank all of them.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter Name of Chapter Topic Page
No.

1. Introduction 1.1 Background of the study 1 to 2

1.2 Need of Study 3
1.3 Literature Review 4 to 7
1.4 Objective of the study 8
1.5 Research Methodology 8 to 9
1.6 Limitation of the study 10
2. Conceptual 2.1 Definition (Online Shopping) 11 to 12
Framework/ 2.2 Importance of Online shopping 13

National/ 2.3 Problems faced in Online shopping 14 to 15

International 2.4 Advantages of Online Shopping 16 to 18

Scenario 2.5 Disadvantages of Online Shopping
18 to 20
2.6 National Scenario
21 to 22
2.7 International Scenario
23 to 24

3. Presentation of Data, 3.1 Case Study 25 to 41

Analysis and Findings
3.2 Finding 42 to 44

4. Conclusion 4.1 Conclusions 45 to 46

Recommendations 4.2 Recommendations 46 to 47

Bibliography Bibliography 48

Questionnaire Questionnaire
 1 page

CHAPTER 1

1.1 Background of the study

The Internet has affected the style of buying habit of people and has
rapidly evolved changed into a global phenomenon. Many companies
have started using the internet with the aim of cutting marketing costs,
thereby reducing the price of their products and services to stay ahead
in highly competitive markets.
The purpose of this project is on awareness of different types of online
buyers towards online shopping the study has been made on consumer
awareness on online shopping taken Amazon as subject to do the case
study. Study will show us people from different genders, age groups
and professions having internet shopping experience. Online buyers
from four types are trial, occasional, frequent and regular online buyers
In an attempt to create more transparency for buyers, ecommerce
platforms selling in India will have to start furnishing more details
about products, their source, and sellers, among other things, as per
the new 'Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020' that was
notified on Thursday.
The effort to create consumer awareness comes against the backdrop
of the Modi government’s push to promote Indian products over
imported ones in order to boost the start-up and the MSME sectors,
which took massive hits following the onset of the coronavirus
pandemic.
 2 Page

Companies also use the Internet to inform, communicate and spread

information, to sell the product, to take feedback and also to conduct
surveys with customers. Customers use the Internet not only to buy
the product online but also to compare prices, product features and
after sale service facilities. Many experts are hopeful about the
prospect of online business. In addition to the great potential of the E-
commerce market, the Internet provides a unique opportunity for
companies to more efficiently reach existing and potential customers.
Although most of the revenue of online transactions comes from
business-to-business commerce, the practitioners of business-to-
consumer commerce should not lose confidence. It has been more
than a decade since business-to-consumer. E-commerce first evolved.
Scholars and practitioners of electronic commerce strive to gain an
improved insight into consumer behaviour in cyberspace. Along with
the development of E-retailing, researchers continue to explain E-
consumers’ behaviour from different perspectives. Many of their
studies have posited new emergent factors or assumptions that are
based on the traditional models of consumer behaviour, and then
examine their validity in the Internet context.
Online shopping is a great way to shop with everything available on the
websites. From clothes, gift items, food, home needs, medicines, and
many more, this mode of shopping allows one to shop conveniently
without the hassle of spending hours in a supermarket or shopping
areas. The Internet with its wide of information nooks, allows the
customer to go through various range of studies of the product or
service before actually heading for purchases.
 3 Page

1.2 Need of the study

The objective of this research study is to investigate online consumer
awareness, which in turn provides E-marketers with a constructional
framework for fine-tuning their E-businesses’ strategies.
The specific objectives of this research are:
✓ To know the consumer awareness and perception about
the products and services provided on the internet for online
shopping.
✓ To analyse the satisfaction levels of the customers of the
selected online products
✓ To identify the perception of online shoppers towards
website factors.
✓ To identify different types of online buyers, i.e., trial
buyers, occasional buyers, frequent buyers and regular buyers
varies towards different website variables in online shopping in
B2 C E-Commerce in India.
✓ To know how it provides products and services and
satisfies their customers through online shopping.
✓ To know that consumer awareness is given priority in India
and companies like Amazon do take of the guidelines as per the
Consumer Protection Act.
✓ E-Business like Amazon has established its roots in India
and aim to provide an elite e-marketing experience to its
customers of different groups age, profession, tastes, areas and
seasonal demand etc.
 4 Page

1.3 Literature Review

The studies on consumer’s perception on online shopping and other
rented topic in the Indian context are limited as the online shopping
has entered into the market only a few years only. The literature so
far reviewed relates to the studies conducted outside India especially
in the United States where the online shopping is a big hit.
• Day & Landon, (1977) explained that, Sometimes strategies
of online marketers are not according to the online shoppers,
so that they are not satisfied with the delivery system of
online shopping.

• Crawford, (1997) in his study, said that the traditional

consumer behaviour shopping has its own model, where
firstly they identify the problem, get the information, search
the alternative, then purchase.

• George (2002) used theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to

develop a model for consumers‟ online purchasing
behaviour. A strong correlation between how trustworthy an
individual finds on the internet and how positive an
individual's attitude is towards online purchasing and that an
individual's attitude towards online purchasing has strong
effect on the intention to make them purchase by internet is
highly supported.

• Miyazaki and Finandez (2001) made an attempt to explore

the relationship among the internet experience levels, risk
perception and online purchasing rates. They analyzed that
 5 Page

higher level of internet experience could lead to lower risk

perception regarding online shopping, fewer concern regarding
system security or fraud and more concern regarding privacy,
consumer participation on another remote purchase methods
related to lower risk perception regarding online shopping. It
was concluded that higher internet experience and the use of
other remote purchasing methods were related to lower levels
of perceived risk towards online shopping which could result in
higher online purchase rates.

• Smith and Alan (2005)-In their paper observed that over

years, the internet has provided an inexpensive and efficient
way for companies to create an additional electronic sales
channel to market their products. Like any marketing
channels, the goal is to increase sales and one method that
delivers content that is relevant to electronic commerce
termed as e- personalization. The current E- commerce
channels can be enhanced through the use of personalization
techniques provided that companies with the products,
contents and information them alive. However, privacy and
accuracy of personal information plays an important role in
personalized contents which has raised the questions of
government intervention in to the realm of e- personalization.

• Sita Mishra (2007) In his paper he empirically studied a

sample size of 200 Internet users in Delhi. From this study he
explained that customers have positive attitude towards
online shopping. The analysis revealed that in null hypothesis
 6 Page

that the age and income do not have significant association with
consumers with higher income do online shopping more and
also found that the respondents having different age groups
demonstrate different attitudes towards online shopping.
Finally, he said that convenience and technological
advancement plays a major role in online shopping.

• Seyed Rajab Nikhashem, Farzana Yasmin, Ahsanul Haque.

(2011)
Studied that investigated peoples‟ perception of online buying
tickets (e-ticketing) as well as why some people use this facility
while some who do not use it stick to the traditional way to fulfil
their needs. Also, factors such as what inform peoples‟
eagerness and unwillingness to use internet facilities are also
examined.

• Kanwal Gurleen (2012) Focuses on the understanding of

demographic profiles of adopters and non-adopters of online
shopping. For this purpose, the data from 400 respondents
was collected in the form of questionnaires. The study has
been conducted in 3 cities of Punjab. A sample of urban
respondents was selected from the Jalandhar, Ludhiana, and
Amritsar. The paper also analyses the various reasons for
online shopping.

• Yu-Je Lee, Ching-Lin Huang, Ching-Yaw Chen (2013) The

purpose of this study is to use structural equation modelling
 7 Page

(SEM) to explore the influence of online bookstore

consumers’ perception on their purchase intention. Through
literature review, four constructs were used to establish a
casual relationship between the perception of online
shopping and consumers’ purchase quality have a positive
and significant influence on consumers’ purchase intention,
but the perceived risk has a negative influence on consumers’
purchase intention, and shopping experience is most
important.

• Brown et al (2014) reported that the need for educating the

young generation especially those who are in their
adolescence are noticeably increasing, given their regular
food eating habits and International Journal of Advancements
in Research & Technology, behaviour, children who are in
their teenage prefer food with respect to food nutritious as
well as three factors plays very important role, home
environment, school and social gatherings.

• Vanniarajan and Kubendran (2015) describe that consumer

perception and usage of any product can change due to
change in food eating habits. If income and urbanization
increase among consumers, then the percentage of income
spent on consumption Increases. The urban consumer mostly
likes branded products as compared to rural consumers.
 8 Page

1.4 Objective of the study

➢ To know the consumer awareness and perception about the products
provided on Amazon for online shopping.

➢ To analyse the satisfaction levels of the customers of online purchase

on Amazon.

➢ To know how Amazon company is better in compare to any Online

shopping platform.

1.5 Research Methodology

Research methodology is a specific procedure or techniques used to

identify, select, process and analyse information about the topic. In a
research paper the methodology section allows the reader to critically
evaluate a study’s overall validity and reliability.

Primary Data
Primary data is the data that is collected for the first time through
personal experiences or evidence, particularly for research. It is also
described as raw data or first-hand information. The mode of
assembling the information is costly, as the analysis is done by an
agency or an external organisation, and needs human resources and
investment. The investigator supervises and controls the data
collection process directly.
 9 Page

The data is mostly collected through observations, physical testing,

mailed questionnaires, surveys, personal interviews, telephonic
interviews, case studies, and focus groups, etc.

Secondary Data
Secondary data is a second-hand data that is already collected and
recorded by some researchers for their purpose, and not for the
current research problem. It is accessible in the form of data collected
from different sources such as government publications, censuses,
internal records of the organisation, books, journal articles, websites
and reports, etc.
This method of gathering data is affordable, readily available, and
saves cost and time. However, the one disadvantage is that the
information assembled is for some other purpose and may not meet
the present research purpose or may not be accurate.

The Methodology Used In Research

The study is based in Primary Data collected through Questionnaire
through Google Forms. The data is descriptive in nature. Sample
respondents are Online Product Buyers. The focus of the study is to
find the validity and the reliability of the data used.

Sample Size: 53 (Online Shoppers)

Area of Research: Kolkata
Period of study: 1 month
Data Collection: Primary (Questionnaire through Google forms).
Sampling Technique: Questionnaire on Random basis through Google
forms
Tools used: Bar graphs, tables, column charts and pie charts.
 10 Page

1.6 Limitation of the study

The study has been collected data from different sources and only the data
is limited to sources from where it has been collected.
1. Less data

2. Limited sources

3. A small sample of just 53 respondents have been taken. No proper

conclusion can be drawn from this small sample size.

4. People are reluctant to provide their answers to online surveys.

 11 Page

CHAPTER 2

2.1 Definition Of Online Shopping

The process of searching for and purchasing goods and services over
the Internet through the use of a web browser is known as Online
Shopping. Nowadays most of the purchasing of the items that are
needed for the daily basis, can be got through the online mode. There
are many shopping websites like Amazon, Flipkart, snap deal, Jabong,
Shop Clues and many more. People without wasting much energy in
going to the shops to buy the shopping items that are required can
purchase it through the shopping websites. The Online Shopping
System is the application that allows the users to shop online without
going to the shops to buy them. This will help in saving the energy,
fuel, time needed to do the shopping by going to the shops.
Online shopping is becoming a well-accepted way to purchase a
variety of products and services. For online shoppers, an online
interactive hypertext environment enables them to search and control
information; alteration in the traditional mass media environment in
which the sender of messages largely controls what will be seen and
heard as well as shift of control in favor of the receiver for
customization of information, and quick comparative analysis among
competing products/services. The attempt has been made by the
 12 Page

researcher to include conceptual framework of online consumer

buying behaviour by including various aspects of literature review viz,
Attitude, orientation and motivation towards online shopping. An
attempt would be made in this paper to put forward results and
findings based on critical review of available literature in form of
earlier research studies relating to trends, growth, developments and
future potentials of e-commerce and evolving behavioural patterns of
online shopping activities considering its diffusion and issues
especially concerning to gender, security etc. with its implications on
e-marketplaces, society and businesses in near future. Finally, this
study discovered a significantly impact of Consumer online buying
behaviour and Important managerial implications and
recommendations are also presented.
Any shopping website that is concerned will be able to attract more
customers only if the items purchased will be delivered on time. The
user interface should be simple and easy to understand even by the
common people. The backend should have a strong database. This will
be one of the interesting projects that the final year students can work
on.
Shopping has long been considered a recreational activity by many.
Shopping online is no exception. The goal of this application is to
develop a web-based interface for online retailers. The system would
be easy to use and hence make the shopping experience pleasant for
the users.
 13 Pages

2.2 Importance of Online Shopping

1 Price comparisons
Comparing and researching products and their prices is so much
easier online. Also, we have the ability to share information and
reviews with other shoppers who have first-hand experience with a
product or retailer.

2 No need to travel
People don't usually like to move a lot to get what they want. Of
course, nothing can compete with experience of going to a cloth
boutique and buying what you want, but normally people just don't
want to travel. Customers don't usually leave near the shops they
would want to visit, but today they have an option to visit the shop
online.

3 No need to travel
People don't usually like to move a lot to get what they want. Of
course, nothing can compete with experience of going to a cloth
boutique and buying what you want, but normally people just don't
want to travel. Customers don't usually leave near the shops they
would want to visit, but today they have an option to visit the shop
online.
 14 Page

2.3 Problems Faced In Online Shopping

1 Phishing Scams
These are the most common kind of threats to be careful about.
It is very simple to make a fake page that resembles a genuine
shopping site or page, and then get a buyer to enter his details
there. Once the user has been tricked into sharing his personal
details or bank details, he becomes a victim of an online scam or
malware campaign.

2 Online Theft
When a user visits a site and makes an online purchase, his
details entered are up for grabs. This is the prize that online
attackers look for and makes their efforts worthwhile. These
details can be acquired by an attacker either by phishing the
user, or by hacking the server of a genuine site and stealing
details. Once a cybercriminal has in-depth information such as
Name, DOB, contact details, Address and more, he can cause a
huge financial dent in the victim’s account.

3 Risk of Hack Attacks

Hackers will gain unauthorized access to your pc and trying
to find ways that to interrupt into a network. Even non-technical
individuals will accomplish a hack attack given the availability of
information on-line on the technique, malware and tool used.
 15 Page

techniques, malware and tools which will be used. When

conducting your online shopping, the private details you enter
up for grabs. This can be a chance that hackers trying to find
since they can hack the site you are using. They will then commit
fraud by stealing sensitive personal information like your name,
master card variety, address, contact details etc. They'll then use
that information simulation to be you. Such an attack will cause
a large money dent in your account.

4 Ransomware Attacks
Ransomware attacks became additional difficult and
troublesome. This can be variety of attack that restricts access
to your pc or your files. Hackers can then demand payment for
the restriction to be removed. Cyber criminals can use web site
popup advertisements and phishing emails that contain
malicious attachments to trick internet buyers into gap them.
Such pop ups and emails typically contain unbelievable deals
that if clicked on can either lock the screen or encrypt files on
the systems drive.

5 Pretended Online Reviews

Five-star ratings will do wonders for online retailer, therefore it

pays to be sceptical of write-ups that lack detail, or too positive.
If you're unsure regarding the validity of a review, attempt to
check the supply, and trust your gut feeling.
If it doesn’t appear right, the possibilities are the goods is
substandard or it's going to even be a scam.
 16 Page

2.4 Advantages Of Online Shopping

1 Convenience. Convenience is the biggest perk. Where else can

you comfortably shop at midnight while in your pajamas? There are
no lines to wait in or cashiers to track down to help you with your
purchases, and you can do your shopping in minutes. Online shops
give us the opportunity to shop 24/7, and also reward us with a ‘no
pollution’ shopping experience. There is no better place to buy
informational products like e-books, which are available to you
instantly, as soon as the payment goes through. Downloadable
items purchased online eliminate the need for any kind of physical
material at all, as well, which helps the environment!

2 Better prices. Cheap deals and better prices are available online,
because products come to you direct from the manufacturer or
seller without involving middlemen. Plus, it's easier to compare
prices and find a better deal. Many online sites offer discount
coupons and rebates, as well. Not only are prices better, but you
can save on tax as well, since online shops are only required to
collect a sales tax if they have a physical location in your state.
Factor in the saved expense of gas and parking and you have saved
yourself a lot of money.

3 More variety. The choices online are amazing. You can find
almost any brand or item you're looking for. You can get in on the
 17 Page

latest international trends without spending money on airfare. You

can shop from retailers in other parts of the state, country, or even
world instead of being limited to your own geography. A far greater
selection of colors and sizes than you will find locally are at your
disposal. Plus, the stock is much more plentiful, so you'll always be
able to find your size and color. Some online shops even accept
orders for out-of-stock items and ship when they come in.

4 More control. Many times, when we opt for conventional

shopping, we tend to spend a lot more than planned and end up
buying items that aren't exactly what we wanted (but we can't find
anything better in the store). Online, you don't have to let the
store's inventory dictate what you buy, and you can get exactly
what you want and need.

5 Easy price comparisons. Comparing and researching products

and their prices is so much easier online. If you're shopping for
appliances, for example, you can find consumer reviews and
product comparisons for all the options on the market, with links
to the best prices. We can research firsthand experience, ratings,
and reviews for most products and retailers.
 18 Page

6 No crowds. If you are like me, you hate crowds when you're
shopping. Especially during holidays, festivals, or on weekends,
they can be such a huge headache. Also, being crushed in the
crowds of shoppers sometimes makes us feel rushed or hurried.
You don't have to battle for a parking place. All of these problems
can be avoided when you shop online.

2.5 Disadvantages Of Online Shopping

1 Negative environmental impact of packaging and gas. Having

your purchase packed in several layers of plastic and cardboard
packaging and delivered right to your front door is good for you,
but not so great for the environment. Even if you try to recycle
the cardboard, you're creating unnecessary waste by shopping
online.

2 Shipping problems and delays. Even the biggest and best

shipping companies and online retailers have their bad days, so
there's no way to ensure that you'll get your hands on your
purchase in time unless you pick it up from a store. Items get
lost, detoured, damaged, or delivered to the wrong address
more often than you can imagine.
 19 Page

3 Risk of fraud. If you're shopping online, there's a larger risk of

fraud: credit card scams, phishing, hacking, identity theft,
counterfeit products, bogus websites, and other scams are
common.

4 Less contact with the community. If you do all your business

online, you'll never have to leave your home. This might be great
for a while but sometimes, you might want to go outside,
breathe some fresh air, get a change of scenery, talk to real
people, participate in your community, and just be a part of the
crowd. Sometimes, a computer monitor can't compete with a
real human connection.

5 You don't know exactly what you're getting. Unless you are
intimately familiar with a brand or product, buying online
requires a leap of faith one that doesn't always end in your favor.
Sizes are often imprecise. You can't determine texture, fabric, fit,
cut, quality, heft, or durability just by looking at a photo.
Products that looked great might feel chintzy, awkward, or cheap
when you hold them in your hands.

6 Returns can be complicated. Some sellers make the process

breezy, but many make it extra hard for you to return their
merchandise or get a refund. Many times, you can't get
 20 Page

reimbursed for any shipping costs. Labeling, packaging, shipping,

tracking, and filling out all the proper forms is a hassle you can
avoid if you buy in person (and if you handselect your
merchandise, you won't need to return things so often).

7 Unfriendly, scammy , or complicated websites. Some sites

require that you join their mailing list and make it impossible to
unsubscribe. Some sell your email address to others, so your
email is full of ads. Sometimes, sites don't offer good or accurate
descriptions of the goods, or you just can't figure out how to
purchase or return an item or speak to customer service.

8 Frauds in online shopping.

Sometimes, there is disappearance of shopping site itself. In
addition to above, the online payments are not much secured.
So, it is essential for e-marketers and retailers to pay attention
to this issue to boost the growth of e-commerce. The rate of
cyber-crimes has been increasing and customers’ credit card
details and bank details have been misused which raise privacy
issues.
Customers have to be careful in revealing their personal
information. Some of the e-tailers are unreliable.
 21 Page

2.6 National Scenario

Amazon is a Global E-Commerce Giant. It is an Internet-based

company that sells electronic goods, apparel, movie books and every
good that can be sold online on its Platform Amazon.com. Amazon
was founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994.
Amazon India launched operations in June 2013. The company
launched its website Amazon.in, offering customers a wide variety of
choices in books, movies and television shows. On the first day of its
operations, Amazon India had received more than 10,000 orders.
Amazon India is a fully-owned subsidiary of US based e-commerce
giant Amazon, Inc. The parent company Amazon was founded in 1994
by Jeff Bezos. With sales and growth nearing saturation limits in the
United States, Amazon was looking to explore other countries for its
future growth. China seemed lucrative with its huge market, well-
developed infrastructure and internet connectivity, which prompted
Amazon to launch operations in China. However, due to stiff
competition by local e-commerce companies such as Alibaba, Amazon
started looking for other viable options. The company found great
potential in India and launched operations in 2013.
Amazon India currently offers millions of products on its platform and
has millions of registered users. Amazon India currently offers
products across various categories such as mobile phones, computers
and accessories, men’s and women’s fashion, books, sports & fitness,
electrical & electronic items, movies, music, cars, motorbike, baby
products, toys, grocery items, etc. Amazon India also operates a
Global Store, where customers can buy directly from sellers in the
United States. Recently, Amazon Prime was launched in
 22 Page

India, which provides users access to various services such as

streaming video, music, e-books, the latest offers, etc. Amazon India
currently delivers to most of the serviceable PIN codes in India. It has
more than 20,000 Indian sellers and 41 fulfilment centres across 13
states.
Amazon enables you to reach hundreds of millions of customers. We
strive to ensure a fair and trustworthy buyer and seller experience. At
Amazon, we expect you to adhere to the code of conduct principles
outlined below. Violation of the code of conduct principles may result
in the loss of your selling privileges and removal from Amazon
Marketplace.
Amazon Wholesale - which is the B2B unit - received Rs 360 crore
funding, while Amazon Pay received Rs 2,705 crore in three tranches
during FY20. Amazon India's marketplace, payments, transport and
cloud service units saw their cumulative revenue from operations
rising 47 per cent to Rs 19,275.8 crore in FY20 over the previous
financial year.
Amazon India has been at the forefront of drawing consumers with its
marketing ideas and products. The company, rightly so, merged its
Prime offering with video and music to provide an overall experience.
With the festival season upon us, Amazon has a flurry of schemes
besides big discounts to attract the consumer.

Red Seer data highlights offline media, especially traditional such as

TV and print, besides digital has helped the company create a high
brand recall. Now, as a run up to Dussherra and Diwali, the e-tailer is
rolling out a high-decibel campaign—ad spends for the company are
over Rs 100 crore—to promote its upcoming annual festive sale.
 23 Page

2.7 International Scenario

Amazon is the largest internet based company in the united states.

Amazon.com started as an online bookstore, but soon diversified,
selling DVDs, VHSs, CDs, video and mp3downloads/streaming,
software, video games, electronics, apparel, furniture, food, toys, and
jewellery. The company also produces consumer electronics notably,
kindle, fire tablets, fire tv and phone and is a major provider of cloud
computing services.
Amazon has separate retail websites for united states, United
Kingdom & Ireland, France, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy,
Spain, Australia, Brazil, Japan, China, India and Mexico, with sites for
Sri Lanka and south east Asian countries coming soon. Amazon also
offers international shipping to certain other countries for some of its
products. In the year 2011, it had professed an intention to launch its
websites in Poland, and Sweden. In early June 2013, Amazon.com had
launched their Amazon India marketplace without any marketing
campaigns. In July, 2013, Amazon had announced to invest $2 billion
(Rs 12,000 crores) in India to expand business, after its largest Indian
rival Flipkart too had announced to invest$1 billion.
Amazon is a Global E-Commerce Giant. It is an Internet-based
company that sells electronic goods, apparel, movie books and every
good that can be sold online on its Platform Amazon.com. Amazon
was founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994.
Amazon has more than 7.5 lakh employees. Amazon is the most
valued retail store in the United States by market capitalization.
Amazon runs its business in several countries and segments.
 24 Page

Amazon blew past expectations for its first fiscal quarter earnings,
posting revenue of $108.5 billion, up 44% year-over-year, and
earnings per share of $15.79, up from $5.01. Profits of $8.1 billion and
an operating margin of 8.2% set new records. Analysts expected Q1
revenue of $104 billion and earnings per share of $9.54.
 25 Page

CHAPTER 3

3.1 Case Study

A. Profile of Respondents
For analysis and interpretation, the following graphs and
charts are prepared based on data obtained from
questionnaire (Annexure).

i) GENDER-BASED ANALYSIS

Table 1

Gender No of Respondents Percentage

Male 37 69.80%
Female 16 30.20%
 26 Page

30.20%
69.80%

Male Female

Figure 1

Interpretation
The data has been collected from 53 respondents, out of
which 37 respondents are male and 16 respondents are
female. This has been shown above with the help of a Pie
Chart.
 27 Page

ii) AGE-BASED ANALYSIS

Table 2

Ages Group No of Respondents Percentages

Teenager 12 22.60%
20 to 30 22 41.50%
31 to 40 12 22.60%
41 plus 7 13.20%

13.20%
22.60%
22.60%
41.50%

Teenager 20 to 30 31 to 40 41 plus

Figure 2

Interpretation
The data has been collected from 53 respondents, out of
which 12 respondent’s teenagers, 22 are between 20-30, 12
are of the age group between 31-40, 7 is of the age group
between 40+. This has been shown above graphically with the
help of a Pie Chart.
 28 Page

iii) OCCUPATION-BASED ANALYSIS

Table 3

Occupation No of Respondents Percentage

Student 23 43.40%
Employee 13 24.50%
Profession 12 22.60%
Freelancer 5 9.40%

9.40%

22.60%
43.40%

24.50%

Student Employee Profession Freelancer

Figure 3

Interpretation
Out of 53 respondents, 23 respondents are students, 13 are
Employees, 5 are Freelancer and 12 are Professionals. This
has been shown above with the help of a Bar Chart.
 29 Page

B. Opinion of respondents
iv) FREQUENCY OF PRODUCTS BROUGHT ON AMAZON
Table 4

Frequency of products No of Percentage

bought on Amazon respondents
Very Often 31 58.50%
Quite Often 13 24.50%
Moderately Often 9 17%
Slightly Often 0 0%

17%

58.50%
24.50%

Very Often Quite Often Moderately Often Slightly Often

Figure 4

Interpretation
Out of 53 respondents, 31 respondents purchase products
very often, 13 respondents purchase products quite often, 9
respondents purchase products moderately often, and 0
purchase products slightly often. This has been shown above
with the help of a Pie Chart.
 30 Page

v) HEARD ABOUT AMAZON ON

Table 5

Heard about Amazon On No of Respondents Percentage

TV 6 11.30%
Mobile 31 58.50%
Newspaper 5 9.40%
Friends 11 20.80%

11.30%
20.80%

9.40%
58.50%

TV Mobile Newspaper Friends

Figure 5

Interpretation
Out of the 53 respondents, 6 people have chosen TV, 31
People have chosen Mobile, 5 people Newspaper and 11 from
Friends. This has been shown above with the help of a Pie
Chart.
 31 Page

vi) TYPE OF PRODUCTS BROUGHT ON AMAZON

Table 6

Type of products bought on No of Respondents Percentage

Amazon
Electronics 19 35.80%
Clothing 23 43.40%
Groceries 8 15.10%
Others 3 5.70%

5.70%

15.10%
35.80%

43.40%

Electronics Clothing
Groceries Others

Figure 6

Interpretation
Out of 53 respondents, 19 people responded for Electronics,
23 people for Clothing, 8 for Groceries and 3 Others.
This has been shown above with the help of a Pie Chart.
 32 Page

vii) METHODS OF PAYMENT ON AMAZON

Table 7

Methods No of Respondent Percentage

Credit Card 17 32.10%
Debit Card 15 28.30%
Net Banking 10 18.90%
Cash on Delivery 11 20.80%

Cash on Delivery 20.80%

Net Banking 18.90%

Debit Card 28.30%

Credit Card 32.10%

0.00% 5.00% 10.00% 15.00% 20.00% 25.00% 30.00% 35.00%

Credit Card Debit Card Net Banking Cash on Delivery
Methods 32.10% 28.30% 18.90% 20.80%

Methods

Interpretation
Out of 53 respondents, 17 goes for Credit card, 15 goes for
Debit Card, 10 for Banking and 11 went for Cash on Delivery.
This has been shown above with the Bar Chart.
 33 Page

viii) REASON OF PREFERENCE FOR PURCHASING ON AMAZON

Table 8

Reason of preference for No of Respondents Percentage

purchasing on Amazon
Good Pricing 21 39.60%
Fast Delivery 14 26.40%
Good Products 13 24.50%
Good Service 5 9.40%

39.60%
40.00%
35.00%
30.00% 26.40%
24.50%
25.00%
20.00%
15.00% 9.40%
10.00%
5.00%
0.00%
Good Fast Good Good
Pricing Delivery Products Service
Reason of preference for purchasing
39.60% 26.40% 24.50% 9.40%
on Aazon

Figure 8

Interpretation
Out of 53 respondents, people preference for purchasing on
Amazon are 21 for Good Pricing, 14 for Fast Delivery, 13 for
Good Products and 5 for Good Service. This has been shown
above with the help of a Column Chart.
 34 Page

ix) USER PERCEPTION ABOUT THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF PERSONAL

INFORMATION ON AMAZON.
Table 9

User perception about No of respondents Percentage

confidentiality of on Amazon
personal information on
Amazon
Extremely Confident 21 40.40%
Quite Confident 13 25%
Moderately Confident 10 19.20%
Slightly Confident 8 15.40%

User perception about confidentiality of personal information on

Amazon

15.40%

40.40%
19.20%

25%

Extremely Confident Quite Confident Moderately Confident Slightly Confident

Figure 9

Interpretation
Out of 52 respondents, 21 people are Extremely Confident,
13 are Quite Confident, 10 are Moderately Confident and 8
are Slightly Confident. This is shown in the above Pie Chart.
 35 Page

x) LEVEL OF USER COMFORT OF PURCHASING ON AMAZON

Table 10

Level of user comfort for No of respondents Percentage

online purchasing on
Amazon
Very Comfortable 22 41.50%
Quite Comfortable 16 30.20%
Moderately Comfortable 10 18.90%
Slightly Comfortable 5 9.40%

9.40%

18.90% 41.50%

30.20%

Very Comfortable Quite Comfortable

Moderately Comfortable Slightly Comfortable

Figure 10

Interpretation
Out of 53 respondents, 22 choose to be Very Comfortable, 16
are Quite Comfortable, 10 are Moderately Comfortable and 5
are Slightly Comfortable. This is shown in the above Pie Chart.
 36 Page

xi) CUSTOMER SERVICE ON AMAZON

Table 11

Customer Service Number of Percentage

on Amazon respondents
Excellent 19 35.80%
Good 23 43.40%
Fair 7 13.20%
Poor 4 7.50%

Poor

Fair

Good

Excellent

0.00% 10.00% 20.00% 30.00% 40.00% 50.00%

Customer Service on Amazon

Figure 11

Interpretation
Out of 53 respondents, 19 people said the customer service
to be Excellent, 23 to be Good, 7 to be Fair and 4 to be Poor.
This is shown in the above Pie Chart.
 37 Page

xii) DELIVERY EXPERIENCE OF USER ON AMAZON

Table 12

Delivery Experience on No of respondents Percentage

Amazon
Excellent 16 30.80%
Good 19 36.50%
Poor 13 25%
Fair 4 7.70%

7.70%

30.80%
25%

36.50%

Excellent Good Poor Fair

Figure 12

Interpretation
Out of 52 respondents, to 16 people delivery experience is
Excellent, 19 Good, 13 Poor and 4 Fair respectively. This is
shown in the above Pie Chart.
 38 Page

xiii) PREFERED ONLINE OF RETAILER

Table 13

Preferred Online Retailer No of respondents Percentage

Amazon 27 51.90%
Flipkart 20 38.50%
Snapdeal 1 1.90%
Others 4 7.70%

Others Others, 7.70%

Snapdeal Snapdeal, 1.90%

Flipkart Flipkart, 38.50%

Amazon,
Amazon

0.00% 10.00% 20.00% 30.00% 40.00% 50.00% 60.00%

Preferred Onile Retailer

Figure 13

Interpretation
Out of 52 respondents, 27 preferred Amazon, 20 preferred
Flipkart, 1 preferred Snapdeal and 4 went to Other e-
commerce platforms.
 39 Page

xiv) USERS OVERALL EXPERIENCE ON AMAZON.

Table 14

Rating- User overall No of respondents Percentage

experience on Amazon
1 1 1.90%
2 1 1.90%
3 5 9.40%
4 11 21%
5 35 66%

70.00%
66%

60.00%

50.00%

40.00%

30.00%

20.00% 21%

10.00% 9.40%
1.90%
1.90%
0.00%
1
2
3
4
5

Rate Your Experience On Amazon

Figure 14
 40 Page

Interpretation
Out of 53 respondents, people rated their user overall user
experience on Amazon. They rated on the scale of 1 to 5.
Accordingly, 1 person rated 1, 1 person rated 2, 5 people rated
3, 11 people rated 4 and 35 people rated 5.
This is shown in the above Column Chart.

xv) USER OPNION ON AMAZON’S IMPORVEMENT

Table 15

Amazon’s need for No of respondents Percentage

improvement
YES 38 71.70%
NO 15 28.30%

28%

72%

YES NO

Figure 15
 41 Page

Interpretation
Out of 53 respondents, 38 people said YES to need for
improvement and 15 people said NO to improvement.
It shows that indeed Amazon need improvement and
innovation at a continuous pace.
This is shown in the above Pie Chart.
 42 Page

3.2 Data Findings

Major findings in the primary survey are-
1. Most of the people, ex. 69% of the respondents are
males.
2. Maximum respondents, ex. 41%, fall under the age
group 20-30.
3. It has been observed that 43% of the respondents
are students, 24% are employees, 22% belong to
professional sector and the rest 9% are freelancer.
4. It is seen that 58% of the respondents purchase
products on Amazon very often. This shows people are
very much in trend with online shopping.
5. It’s been observed through the survey that 58% of
the respondents have heard about Amazon on Mobile
this is because people tend to use their mobile more than
other things.
6. Most respondents, ex. 43%, prefer to buy clothing
online and 35% electronics whereas only 3% of the
respondents prefer to buy other items. This shows that
clothing is also taking gain in online shopping.
7. It is observed that now days people are using credit
card and showing a good 32% respondents. While Net
banking is only 18%. Amazon is providing their customers
newer and faster methods of payments.
 43 Page

8. Mostly 39% of the people according to the survey

prefer to buy on Amazon for their reasonable and value
for money pricing.

9. 40% of the total respondents are confident about

the confidentiality of their personal information on
Amazon. Very few, ex. 15% people are slightly confident
about their personal information security on Amazon.

10. The maximum respondents, ex. 41% of the people

are extremely comfortable in purchasing products on
Amazon whereas only 9% of the people are slightly
comfortable. This data shows that people can shop in
Amazon with ease and comfort. Their user-friendly
interface allows customers to swift though products.
11. It has been observed that maximum respondents,
ex. 43% of the people have rated Amazon’s customer
service as Good, whereas 35% said it to be Excellent and
only 7.5% people said its service to be Poor. This shows
that respondents data has been to subjected to their past
experiences with Amazon.
12. Delivery experience of respondents ex. 36% of
people have said it to Good, 30% of them said Excellent
and the 7% said it to be Poor.
 44 Page

13. According to the findings 51% of the respondents

have chosen Amazon as their preferred online retailer
Whereas only 1% respondents have selected Snapdeal.
This shows the Amazon is the survey for preferred online
retailer.

14. The observation shows the overall experience of the

respondents through the ratings. The ratings are from 1
to 5. Ex. 66% of people have rated it 5. It shows that most
of the respondents have good experience with Amazon
15. Every company needs improvement and continuous
innovation and constantly aware their consumers about
it. According to the research 71% of the respondents have
said YES to improvement.

The questionnaire has helped me to understand that

respondents are well aware of online shopping. Amazon
is a popular platform and keeps its consumers well aware
and responds to changes they take their customers
priority to be their first preference and it’s leading the
segment today.
 45 Page

CHAPTER 4

4.1 Conclusion
Consumers tend to be fairly thoughtful decision makers, and
therefore tend to avoid risk. In order for e-commerce to live
up its full potential, online retailers need to understand that
consumers perceive online purchasing as something of a
threat, as was revealed in this study. In spite of the many retail
opportunities the internet offers, growth of online purchasing
will remain slow in emerging markets if marketers do not
succeed to change the perception of risk associated with
online purchasing. Online commerce in emerging markets will
only thrive if marketers manage to expand consumer
confidence and acceptance with regards to online purchasing.
Changing customers perceptions about perceived risks
associated with online buying, and instilling confidence and
acceptance about online commerce amongst consumers
remain a challenge to marketers.
 46 Page

Amazon customers consist of upper & middleclass social

groups who have inclination towards using e-commerce
portals and are comfortable with online shopping. Majority of
the customers are students, employees who are interested
with their job & find it convenient to purchase anything online
rather than visiting the physical outlet in order to save time &
money. Furthermore, the customers might also be the ones
who are searching for good deals. Amazon has a wide range of
products and their customer service is indeed better than
others. As per the limited data the conclusion might not be
accurate but as per the respondent’s opinion Amazon seems
to lead its segment.

4.2 Recommendations

➢ E-Commerce platforms like Amazon should provide

assurance about the authenticity of the products they
put up on their website.
➢ Amazon should keep upgrading their privacy
policies so that the consumers feel secure to place any
orders.
 47 Page

➢ Sometimes, Amazon take too long to deliver the

product. That should be looked upon and be worked on.
➢ Sometimes Amazon list poor quality products of a
retailer, this should be checked and in order to maintain
the brands goodwill and customer’s base.
➢ Since some of the respondents do not find Amazon
not easily accessible, they should be made more user
friendly.
➢ Some kind of strong legal framework should be setup in
order to check online frauds. Moreover, the complaints
related to online shopping should be dealt by setting up
some exclusive competent authority. The proposed
consumer protection law being developed by the
Consumer Affairs Ministry should take care in regulating
ecommerce in the country in a better way.
It’s list of works cited, a bibliography may appear at the end of
a book, report, online presentation, or research paper. These
are the links from where data has been collected.

1. https://yourstory.com/2020/07/new-consumer-
protection-act-rules-for-ecommerce-amazon-
flipkart/amp
2. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/5165156.pdf
3. https://blogs.quickheal.com/top-5-risks-online-
shopping-can-avoid/
4. https://pdfcoffee.com/project-report-on-amazon-vs-
flipkart--pdf-free.html
5. https://www.ibef.org/industry/ecommerce/showcase/a
mazon-development-centre-india-pvt-ltd
6. https://sellercentral.amazon.in/gp/help/external/G1801
?language=en_IN
7. https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/corporate/story/a
mazon-invested-rs-11400-crore-in-india-in-2019-20-
283058-2020-12-30
Dear Respondents,
I am , a student of Bhawanipur Education
Society College, presently preparing a project report on “E-
COMMERCE: CONSUMER AWARENESS ON ONLINE
SHOPPING” (Case study on Amazon). I request you to kindly
fill the questionnaire below and I assure you the data
generated shall remain confidential. This form has been filled
up by the people of Kolkata through Google Form. The link for
the form is:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfjAIkTmdXvI1l
wC4bflrkcC4kDu4dRky6iND5CtJQrdEDwBQ/viewform?usp=sf
_link

PERSONAL DETAILS
Q1. Gender
o Male
o Female

Q2. Age Group

o Teenager
 o 20 to 30
o 31 to 40
o 41 plus

Q3. Occupation
o Student
o Employee
o Profession
o Freelancer

QUESTIONS

Q4. How often do you buy products on Amazon?

o Very often
o Quiet often
o Moderately often
o Slightly often

Q5. From where you have heard about Amazon?

o TV
o Mobile
o Newspaper
o Friends
Q6. What type of products do you typically buy on Amazon?
o Electronics
o Clothing
o Groceries
o Others

Q7. Which payment method do you mostly use while shopping

on Amazon?
o Credit Card
o Debit Card
o Net Banking
o Cash On Delivery

Q8. What makes you prefer purchasing products on Amazon?

o Good Pricing
o Fast Delivery
o Good Products
o Good Service

Q9. How confident are you about the confidentiality of your

personal information on Amazon?
o Extremely Confident
 o Quite Confident
o Moderately Confident
o Slightly Confident

Q10. How comfortable are you on buying products on

Amazon?
o Extremely Comfortable
o Quite Comfortable
o Moderately Comfortable
o Slightly Comfortable

Q11. How is the customer service on Amazon?

o Excellent
o Good
o Fair
o Poor

Q12. How is the Delivery Experience on Amazon ?

o Excellent
o Good
o Fair
o Poor
Q13. Which online retailer do you typically use?
o Amazon
o Flipkart
o Snapdeal
o Others

Q14. Rate your overall experience on Amazon?

o 1
o 2
o 3
o 4
o 5

Q15. Does Amazon need improvement?

o Yes
o No