E-Commerce, a Getaway Solution to Street Hawking Business (Machinga) Relocation: A Case of Mwanza City Council

Abstract

The rapid growth of the internet has significantly changed the way people do business, shop and has significantly change the market structure and operations. Indeed, the advent of e-commerce has significantly changed the way business is carried out by providing an opportunity for consumers and retailers to perform business transactions online. However, this shift has not been as dramatic in developing countries including Tanzania, but with the current move of Machinga relocation this could be the stepping stone to advancement in business. This paper explores the opportunities that e commerce opens to Machinga business. The people who use to walk around carrying their goods and services could sit down and perform business online, and walk only to deliver goods for pre-determined customers. The study employed the quantitative research approach and a descriptive survey research design. Data were collected from 369 respondents sampled from college students, employees and business owners.  Data were collected through a closed-ended questionnaire and analyzed by using Statistical Packages for Social Science (IBM-SPSS) version 20. The findings indicated that consumer factors such as awareness of e-commerce platforms, internet surfing skills, and influence from friends’/family members have a positive influence on e-commerce usage among consumers. Likewise, financial and technological factors make online shopping easier and more convenient for consumers. Therefore, the paper recommends that the government and hawkers to embrace e commerce and innovatively address consumer perceived risks of internet-based business transactions.