Electronic commerce in the retail sector: from exploratory channel to strategic necessity

Whilst the Internet is already exerting a considerable impact upon society, in general, it is in the arena of trade and commerce that the Internet's most significant influence has been witnessed. As global competition intensifies, an organization's effective operational performance, and competitive positioning have become more dependent upon its ability to successfully exploit information technologies. Against this background, the Internet, through its high levels of connectivity, reach and adoption, has probably become the most influential of the vast array of technologies available to businesses. Whilst the initial forays of most retailers into the world of web-based retailing could be classed as small scale, exploratory and tentative, the success of the Internet over the past ten years has placed electronic commerce at the centre of their strategic thinking. The goal for this e-book is to deliver a coherent collection of papers that provide significant new insights into how the retail sector is responding to the challenges posed by the Internet and how individual retail organisations are integrating it into their corporate strategies.