What does Business to Consumer (B2C) mean?
Business-to-Consumer (B2C) is a retail model where businesses sell products or services directly to individuals for personal use.
The companies that sell products or services directly to consumers are called B2C companies. For example, in the past, this term referred to people who bought clothes for themselves from the store. B2C most often refers to eCommerce businesses which use online platforms to connect their products with consumers.
Other categories of eCommerce include B2C (business-to-consumer), B2B (business to business), Business to Government (B2G), Direct to Consumer (D2C), C2C (customer to customer), and C2B (customer to business).
Types of B2C Models
- Retail: The classic brick-and-mortar retail stores where consumers can directly step into the store and purchase products, such as M&S, Lakeland and Wickes.
- eCommerce only: The ever-growing online shopping landscape offering convenience, accessibility, and wide-ranging product options, such as The Very Group, and N Brown.
- Direct-to-Consumers D2C: Brands bypassing traditional distribution channels and selling directly to consumers, often through their own websites or online marketplaces, such as L’Oreal, and Estee Lauder.
- Subscription services: Delivering curated products or services to customers on a recurring basis, such as Netflix or Amazon Prime.
- Service-based B2C: From healthcare and education to entertainment and hospitality, businesses provide services directly to consumers.
Benefits of Business to Consumer eCommerce
- Global reach: One of the key advantages of B2C eCommerce lies in its ability to offer a global presence. Even small businesses can effectively market and sell their product and services to customers in different markets.
- Better accessibility: B2C eCommerce allows your buyers to purchase from anywhere at any time of the day. This way, you can move beyond time zones and operate 24/7.
- Direct Communication: Companies that adopt the B2C business model communicate with their buyers directly and in a personalised way. This can be through emails, SMS, and push notifications.
- Shorter sales cycle: B2C sales cycles are often shorter than B2B, with less time needed on research and fewer people involved in the decision-making process.
B2C vs. B2B: Key Differences
The main difference between B2B and B2C is the target audience. In B2C transactions, the company directly markets to individual consumers, whereas in B2B transactions, the focus is on selling to other businesses. Consequently, the marketing and sales strategies employed in each domain differ significantly.
B2C companies often leverage emotional appeals to drive consumer purchasing decisions, while B2B enterprises prioritise building robust relationships with key decision-makers within client organisations. As a result, the sales cycle in B2B transactions tends to be lengthier compared to B2C transactions.
Reach B2C Success with Taggstar
In today’s competitive B2C landscape, retailers and brands must provide the best shopping experiences possible.
Powered by machine learning, the Taggstar platform offers scalable real-time social proof solutions, including social proof messaging, social proof recommendations, and eXtended Messaging, helping shoppers discover products and make more informed and confident buying decisions, as well as bringing the buzz of in-store shopping, online!
