The customer care IT tools as a competitive advantage factor in the Brazilian retail industry

The fast growing of e-commerce proceeded in profits for many companies. Its application associated to well-designed workflows, i.g., the virtual customer care procedures, can benefit the companies by building long term competitive advantages. This study analysed the virtual customer care of ten big Brazilian retail companies, through the identification and evaluation of the actual Information Technology applied tools in their sites. We stated that Ponto Frio had the highest performance. An intermediate group was composed by Pao de Acucar, Bom Preco, Sonae, Lojas Americanas and Casas Bahia. The bottom line was filled by Pernambucanas, Sendas, Wal-Mart and Carrefour.e-commerce; virtual customer care; Brazilian retail companies; Brazilian economy; Brazil; electronic commerce; information technology.