| dc.description.abstract | With the proliferation of the Internet, people have long been accustomed to conducting their shopping activities online. The convenience and efficiency brought by online shopping have led to an increasing number of consumers choosing to shop on the Internet. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2019, online shopping has become the primary avenue for people to avoid the risk of infection, indirectly forcing traditional
retailers to transform into e-commerce businesses.
During the process of online consumption, consumers still need to pay attention to the quality of goods and whether the prices are reasonable. This has created more business opportunities for cashback platforms and e-commerce through their collaboration. However, cashback platforms and e-commerce companies must maintain a competitive edge while ensuring that consumers′ rights are not compromised. In this context, the issue of balancing interests among cashback platforms, e-commerce, and consumers becomes particularly important
This paper aims to analyze two common modes of collaboration using game theory and simulate pricing strategies and purchasing decisions among cashback platforms, e-commerce companies, and consumers through Netlogo agent-based modeling. Finally, a comparison will be made between the results obtained from the general mathematical model and the agent-based simulation to identify any differences
We have found that in the two common modes of collaboration, both cashback platforms and merchant platforms are able to generate higher profits through the lead-based model. The purchasing intention of consumers towards a product is
determined by the discount factor, with a lower discount factor indicating a higher willingness to purchase low-priced products. Moreover, consumers′ evaluation of a product′s value is not only based on its pricing but also heavily influenced by the cashback rate. A higher cashback rate can motivate consumers to make a purchase even if the product′s price is higher. At the same time, a lower discount factor indicates a lower tolerance for low cashback rates among consumers. | en_US |