E-Business

ACC/340
December 16, 2013

E-Business
Introduction
William Dillard founded Dillard’s Inc. in 1938 as a small store in his wife’s hometown. Mr. Dillard opened the store after working many summers in the retail industry and college. He also completed the management training course at Sears Roebuck and Company prior to the opening Dillard’s. His first store was located in Austin Texas. Over the years technology has been innovated and transformed how consumers shop. There are several different ways that the e-business can affect Dillard’s Inc., both internally and externally. Dillard’s Inc. has many advantages and disadvantages when dealing with e- business. Dillard’s Inc. is a store that sells clothing and many other household items. Most consumers love to shop whether it is online or in a brick and mortar location. There are advantages, limitations, and risks of using the Internet for the business activities.
Advantages
One advantage of Dillard’s, being that it is an e-business is that consumers can shop online and not have to leave their home. Another advantage is that it removes location and availability limitations for customers. In store there are hours of operation, which will limit the times when consumers can purchase items. Being an e-business allows consumers to make purchases when and where they like. There are often more products available online than in the store because local stores usually have limited storage. Reducing time and money spent is another advantage as an e-business can operate at a fraction of the cost of a storefront. The internet is also an excellent way to market to consumers. Dillard’s can save money by sending consumers emails about special sales or offers and save the cost of postage that was necessary in the past. Now all that a consumer must do is enter an e-mail address when they shop and Dillard’s