Online shopping bots for electronic commerce: the comparison of functionality and performance

Shopping bots are software applications assisting consumers with online comparison-shopping by presenting product prices from multiple e-tailers. We examined the output of nine comprehensive shopping bots through multiple searches for 40 books, 20 CDs, and 20 DVDs. The results produced by each bot were analysed to determine bot effectiveness based on accuracy, consistency, and repeatability of recommendations, using price as a key measure. It was concluded that no best shopping bot exists, most bots offer limited product information, and all often present inaccurate information about the actual product price or availability. Several recommendations for practitioners and researchers are presented.

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