A Rise in E-Commerce, an End to Personal Communication?

As the economy fluctuates and people’s hopes of it going on the rise follow a rollercoaster ride of constant humps, it has been recognized that e-commerce seems to be the way to go. According to an article by Newsweek Magazine Online, there has been an average of an 11 percent increase in e-commerce sales for U.S. retailers in the first quarter of 2009.

The increase of e-commerce sales speaks to the constantly changing nature of the consumer market today. As so many aspects of our lives can now be handled online, the internet’s appeal swallows many people’s hesitations to put personal information out on the web. Consider the following facts:
• In France, there has been a 26 percent increase in e-commerce sales in the first quarter of 2009.
• 35 percent of consumers who belong to Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development nations buy goods and services on the Internet, up from 27 percent five years ago.
• European consumers save an average 17 percent if they buy electronic retail goods online rather than in stores.

If this trend continues, will in-store purchasing slowly diminish? Personally, it scares me to think of the great amount of capability the Internet already has. Personal and communal interaction in the marketplace is vital to how our society operates. Although an online nature makes everything seemingly easy and convenient, how will this affect the basic roles of buying and selling in the marketplace?

Online commerce will also affect competition. E-marketing strategies will have to continue to improve, as retailers will need to extend exposure online to reach the consumers who spend a lot of time on the web. Concurrently, e-commerce could conserve great deals of energy and time for both consumers and retailers; if most things could be bought with a click of a button, people wouldn’t have to leave their homes to make purchases, although they will have to wait for items to be shipped. I have recognized only a few of the effects that may result from the steady increase in e-commerce. What do you think? Do the negatives outweigh the positives?