Internet selling a threat to retail ?

[emmab]

Do any of you have sell on line ? and do you think that it makes the world of retail more difficult , with more competition ,seeing as we are a nation of couch potatoes who would rather shop online than go out and buy the product ourselves ?

[m8internet]

Online sales have helped free up time, hassle, and so on
On the other hand they have increased business costs

Let's take a typical weeks shopping

In the 1980s :
Once a week trip to the supermarket for the main groceries
This would have taken between 3 and 4 hours

Once a fortnight or monthly for clothing essentials
This would have taken about the same time, probably at a different location from above

Leisure and entertainment sales, usually to/from work, on days off, etc
This was nothing more than going to the shops for the sake of it

In the 2000s :
The supermarket shopping can now be done online
The costs are slightly higher, but the time saving is tremendous
Disadvantage is that you need to know the products and you do not select them, the store staff do
Other items can be added, including clothing, leisure and entertainment

Clothing, Leisure, and entertainment sales
Due to the lack of a shop and sales staff, the cost savings are tremendous
However, the gap between shop and online prices has decreased

Finally, there is the personal experience
One great shift in the last few years has been the preference to shop online, but not purchase
The customer then goes to the shop to obtain the goods immediately

As for my own businesses :
My trade business gets most of its customers from the trade press, the website only acts as a brochure
Our clients businesses get a diverse cross-section of customers, M&S being an example
My hosting business is 100% online, I don't do any offline advertising

[emmab]

Thanks for that.