Internationalization through E-commerce within the Fashion Industry. A case study of Swedish fashion companies’ e-commerce abroad

Abstract

E-commerce has evidently created new ways of conducting business and it could be argued that e-commerce has erased all national borders, adding a new dimension to the process of internationalization. The phenomenon of e-commerce is especially visible within the fashion industry. Therefore, this thesis aims to highlight the possibilities and challenges that come from using e-commerce as a way for Swedish fashion companies to internationalize. In order to touch upon these factors, we have conducted in-depth interviews with staff members from the companies: Elvine, Gina Tricot, Trés Bien, Nudie Jeans and Business Sweden. One of the main findings of our study is that the fashion companies seem to see a great possibility in using e-commerce as a way to internationalize their business and reach new potential customers. Also, companies are able to fulfill customers needs by implementing an omnichannel strategy where the e-commerce is integrated in the whole business strategy, and a challenge lies in actually doing so. Additionally, it is clear that there is a connection between the internationalization strategies and local e-commerce adaptation within companies, which might be a challenge for companies in the process of internationalization through ecommerce. Finally, even though a general assumption might be that e-commerce erases all national borders, we conclude that there are still liabilities that need to be overcome in termsof both external and internal barriers.