Modes preču tirdzniecība Covid-19 ietekmē
Authors:   Liepaja University, Jēgere Sarmīte 
Published: April 2023

The internet is gradually becoming the main channel for the distribution of retail goods. It is also a binding distribution channel for the sale of fashion goods. It allows the retailer to post photos, video, and audio material showcasing their latest collections and sell the goods directly to the consumer through a website. According to data from the Interactive Media Retail Group, for example, the UK’s online retail turnover increased by 42% in September 2020, 35.7% in October, and 39% in November compared to the previous year. eBay also confirms this trend – every 7 seconds a product is sold on their site. The aim of this article is to analyze research about online fashion retailers conducted by US and British researchers and the results of surveys among Indian and Latvian students. Who sells fashion items online? A survey of Indian college students (Shanthi, Kannaiah, 2015) and 126 Latvian university students, as well as different researches, show that retailers offering a narrow range of goods are best represented. On the other hand, companies with recognizable brands do not use the internet. There is a conflicting opinion about the involvement of designers in the implementation of their models thru the internet. The next issue addressed in the research and surveys was what helps to create a good fashion website. Then (1999) considers three important visual aspects of a successful website for clothing buyers: - an online image of the goods that most closely matches the actual product; - demonstration of similar products; - ability to view the product from different angles (preferably in three dimensions). In the survey, Latvian students noted the following aspects: - information (information corresponds to the respective task); - possibility to perform electronic transactions; - response time. How do fashion retailers design websites? Ashwort (2005) has summarized different approaches and offers a five-step method. He believes that the success of retailers is determined by the amount of knowledge they have – moving from one stage to another. There are also differences in business planning and strategy choice, and no single dominant strategy exists. For example, some companies take a detailed, formal, well-thought-out approach to decision-making, but some have spontaneous decision-making. Who buys online? There is an opinion in life and also in literature that shopping through a catalog and mail is financially insecure. However, e-commerce is complicated further by the seemingly higher risks of securing on the internet. Respondents of foreign researchers note the possibility of buying goods without leaving home as the main positive reason. For Latvian students, the reasons are much lower prices than in local stores and more original goods unavailable in the local market. Key findings: Competition between websites is based on the way information is presented and what information is provided by website retailers. Information relevant to the task, opportunity to make a purchase, response time, price, and incentive programs are important factors in predicting customer satisfaction. There is no difference in consumer behavior between fashion innovators and ordinary buyers of fashion goods.