E-Commerce Adoption and Sales Performance of Traders in Onitsha Main Market: Implications for Business Administration Practice

The Onitsha Main Market, one of the largest commercial markets in West Africa, operates within a rapidly evolving digital landscape where e-commerce adoption is beginning to reshape traditional trade structures and business performance outcomes. This study examines the relationship between e-commerce adoption and sales performance among traders in Onitsha Main Market, with implications for business administration practice. The study is anchored on the Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) Theory by Everett Rogers, which explains how, why, and at what rate new technologies spread across social systems. A cross-sectional survey design was employed. The population comprised 1,240 registered traders in the electronics, textile, and food sections of Onitsha Main Market. A sample of 302 respondents was selected using stratified random sampling. Primary data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered via in-person enumeration. Data were analysed using logistic regression and correlation analysis. Findings reveal that e-commerce adopters in the market record significantly higher monthly sales volumes, broader customer reach, and lower transaction costs compared to non-adopters. The study further identifies cost of smartphone data, limited digital literacy, and fear of online fraud as the primary barriers to adoption among non-adopting traders. It is concluded that e-commerce adoption offers transformative commercial advantages for market traders when supported by adequate digital infrastructure and financial security systems. The study recommends that market associations collaborate with fintech firms and government digital economy agencies to provide structured e-commerce training and subsidised data access for traders.

Keywords: E-commerce adoption, sales performance, Onitsha market, Diffusion of Innovations, digital trade