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Can e-commerce platforms build the resilience of brick-and-mortar businesses to the COVID-19 shock? An empirical analysis in the Chinese retail industry

Author

Listed:
  • Sirui Li

    (University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
    ECARES, Université libre de Bruxelles)

  • Ying Liu

    (University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Jing Su

    (Economics School of Louvain, Université catholique de Louvain)

  • Xin Luo

    (The University of New Mexico)

  • Xiao Yang

    (University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Aalborg University)

Abstract

We proposed a research model that examined the differences between the contributions of large, third-party e-commerce platforms and self-operated e-commerce platforms to businesses’ resilience to the COVID-19 shock. The difference-in-differences approach was employed to analyze a substantial sample of Chinese retailers. The study found that (1) under the baseline condition, the large, third-party e-commerce platforms built significant resilience for the brick-and-mortar businesses, (2) resource constraints induced by factor immobility weakened the contribution of large, third-party e-commerce platforms to the businesses’ resilience in regions of severe shock, and (3) the physical retailers’ self-operated EC platforms built resilience in regions of severe shock.

Suggested Citation

  • Sirui Li & Ying Liu & Jing Su & Xin Luo & Xiao Yang, 2023. "Can e-commerce platforms build the resilience of brick-and-mortar businesses to the COVID-19 shock? An empirical analysis in the Chinese retail industry," Electronic Commerce Research, Springer, vol. 23(4), pages 2827-2857, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:elcore:v:23:y:2023:i:4:d:10.1007_s10660-022-09563-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s10660-022-09563-7
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