How Adopting E-Commerce Transforms The Growth Journey Of Small And Medium Cosmetic Retailers

Abstract

The growth of digital commerce has altered the operational framework for small and medium-sized retailers of cosmetic products. This research looks into the impact of using e-commerce platforms on the growth, market access, sales, and operational improvements of retailers in the cosmetics industry. This study utilizes a mixed-methods approach where both primary (a structured questionnaire given to a sample of 100 cosmetic retailers) and archivable secondary data (industry reports and papers, journals, and government publications) were utilized. Using descriptive statistics, correlational analysis, and the thematic analysis of text data, trends were extracted and the link between the use of e-commerce and growth in business was measured. The results show that the acquisition of new customers, reduction of costs, improved visibility of products, and heightened competitiveness were outcomes of using e-commerce. However, there were still setbacks of poor logistics, absence of digital marketing skills, and high cost of marketing. The study demonstrates a significant potential for the growth of small to medium-sized retailers of cosmetic products to strengthen if there were adopted digital technologies in a planned manner with adequate training and reasonably priced logistics. This has led to the formulation of various guidelines.