a) Pick a product category (shoes, jewelry, video games, etc.) and do some market research on the category using Watchcount.com. (The book talk about eBay Pulse. eBay Pulse is no longer available and Watchcount.com is a substitute product.) Identify your product category, briefly describe your experience doing your market research, and briefly discuss your conclusions with regard to demand, competition, market position, cost, and profitability.
b) Imagine that you are opening an online store, would you prefer to handle shipping in house or to outsource the shipping function? Briefly explain your answer.
c) Briefly discuss the important decisions that you need to make in relation with the back end aspects of shipping. Can any of these activities be outsourced? Explain.