Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation
Unpacking E-commerce
Business Models, Trends and Policies
As digital transformation has accelerated, the e-commerce landscape has become increasingly
dynamic. New players have emerged at the same time that established actors have taken
on new roles; some barriers to e-commerce at the firm, individual and country levels
have been overcome, while other barriers have emerged. Innovative business models
have transformed buyer-seller relationships and pushed out the frontier of what is
possible to buy and sell online. This report analyses new and emerging e-commerce
business models, examines e-commerce trends along a range of dimensions, and offers
new insights on the policies needed to exploit the opportunities and mitigate the
challenges of unlocking the potential of e-commerce for all.
Digital transformation enables and affects e-commerce – and market openness more broadly – in many ways. Explore interactive indicators of e-commerce and learn more about the importance of market openness on the Going Digital Toolkit.