Determining the extent of the adoption of the internet by commercial retailers in the motor industry in Gauteng

M.Comm.The introduction of the Internet has had a profound effect on organisations and society and a new way of doing business is unfolding everyday. The Internet is transforming the practice of marketing, creating new ways of delivering value and improving the experience of the consumer. Every aspect of individuals' and organisations' economic lives is effected by the new technology.The purpose of this study was to determine the general extent of Internet adoption amongst commercial retailers in the motor industry in Gauteng. The researcher also aimed to determine the online marketing activities and services that are offered by motor retailers. Special attention was given on how the promotional activities are influenced by the Internet. The research methodology that was followed included the collection of primary and secondary data The sampling frame of this study is the Gauteng members that are registered at the Retail Motor Industry Federation offices in Pretoria A structured questionnaire was send to every third sampling unit from the sampling list. Most of the respondents did make use of the Internet in the running of their organisations. The findings confirm that the sales processes do differ on the Internet. Although the saving of money was identified as the main contributing factor that motivates customers to buy online, the research results indicated that the respondents do not offer discounts to customers that buy online. The results suggest that the respondents do not fully utilise the benefits that the Internet offers and thus have not fully exploited the opportunities that the Internet offers to gain a competitive advantage