Everyone Buys Online
By George Anderson
E-Commerce is not simply for the rich and the may or may not be famous any longer. According to Jupiter Research, 27 percent of the online shopping household population earns less than $50,000 a year.
Chris Kelley, analyst, Forrester Research told The Seattle Times, “If you look at people who buy online, how long they have purchased online, e-commerce has gone mainstream. Is it perfectly reflective of the mainstream? No. But is it clear that the direction is to go to that goal? Definitely.”
The chief executive of BizRate.com, Chuck Davis told the newspaper another sign that B2C e-commerce has gone mainstream is that women now represent 61 percent of sales made online for the holidays.
Moderator’s Comment: Will having an online sales site
become a necessary component to being a successful retailer in the future?
The future may be now. Forrester’s Kelley offers retailers
looking to sell in both the real and virtual worlds this caution. “To a customer,
Wal-Mart is Wal-Mart is Wal-Mart.” Our sentiments exactly.
[George
Anderson – Moderator]