The advances made in the field of information and communication technology in the late twentieth century and early twenty- first century coupled with relatively higher incomes and drop in prices of consumer goods have fueled consumption globally and more importantly the rise of electronic shopping.

Ekwueme and Akagwu (2017) asserted that e- commerce as a business phenomenon revolves mainly around the process of selling and purchasing products or services through the internet using social media sites, e- commerce portals and websites. Boyd and Ellison (2010) maintained that e-commerce signifies a new trend of trade emerging from the recognized and over- bearing usefulness of the internet as an information dissemination tool or platform.

Globally, the increasing rate of internet access and usage even in the developing and under- developed countries combined with the systematic progress of information technology have served to transform the way goods are bought and sold. The result of this combination is a significant increase in the number of online shoppers. Thuyuyen et al (2014) noted that the widespread adoption of e- commerce as a favored medium of commercial retailing is premised on its characteristics of global reach, time independence, interactivity, low organizational set-up cost and easy access. These characteristics have also fueled the growth of e- commerce in Nigeria, with the sector valued at $13 billion as at 2018 and expected to reach around $64 billion by 2025 (Economic Intelligence, 2019).

While the benefits of e- commerce have over the years become apparent, one of the constraints on the industry is the management of the huge customer base. A major characteristic of e- commerce is that the number of customers simultaneously transacting business with an e- commerce venture might reach or even exceed the million-mark. Managing such a huge customer base often require significant commitment of organizational resources and occasionally the customer satisfaction levels are low (Monsuwe, 2004; Chen et al, 2014; Xie et al, 2014). The need to present e- commerce as a more viable method of shopping to consumers as opposed to the traditional brick and mortar stores have therefore encouraged e-commerce firms to place emphasis on achieving high customer satisfaction levels. As Quelch and Jocz (2007) explained, the need to ensure high customer satisfaction levels is magnified by the advent of social media where customers can give feedback which impact significantly on performance.


The advances made in the field of information and communication technology in the late twentieth century and early twenty- first century coupled with relatively higher incomes and drop in prices of consumer goods have fueled consumption globally and more importantly the rise of electronic shopping.

Ekwueme and Akagwu (2017) asserted that e- commerce as a business phenomenon revolves mainly around the process of selling and purchasing products or services through the internet using social media sites, e- commerce portals and websites. Boyd and Ellison (2010) maintained that e-commerce signifies a new trend of trade emerging from the recognized and over- bearing usefulness of the internet as an information dissemination tool or platform.

Globally, the increasing rate of internet access and usage even in the developing and under- developed countries combined with the systematic progress of information technology have served to transform the way goods are bought and sold. The result of this combination is a significant increase in the number of online shoppers. Thuyuyen et al (2014) noted that the widespread adoption of e- commerce as a favored medium of commercial retailing is premised on its characteristics of global reach, time independence, interactivity, low organizational set-up cost and easy access. These characteristics have also fueled the growth of e- commerce in Nigeria, with the sector valued at $13 billion as at 2018 and expected to reach around $64 billion by 2025 (Economic Intelligence, 2019).

While the benefits of e- commerce have over the years become apparent, one of the constraints on the industry is the management of the huge customer base. A major characteristic of e- commerce is that the number of customers simultaneously transacting business with an e- commerce venture might reach or even exceed the million-mark. Managing such a huge customer base often require significant commitment of organizational resources and occasionally the customer satisfaction levels are low (Monsuwe, 2004; Chen et al, 2014; Xie et al, 2014). The need to present e- commerce as a more viable method of shopping to consumers as opposed to the traditional brick and mortar stores have therefore encouraged e-commerce firms to place emphasis on achieving high customer satisfaction levels. As Quelch and Jocz (2007) explained, the need to ensure high customer satisfaction levels is magnified by the advent of social media where customers can give feedback which impact significantly on performance.

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