Electronic Commerce in the Retail Sector

Abstract

Scarcely a development has influenced the structures of our economy so lasting and in such a short time as the new capabilities of the digital business handling over worldwide networks that are covered by the glittering term electronic commerce. Even when the predictions about the size of the expected online sales differ, they all forecast for the next few years a significant increase of the sales revenues that will be achieved over the Internet. The largest potential is seen in the electronic business conducted between companies (B-to-B), with a forecasted sales volume of 153 billion dollars in 2000. A significantly lower revenue potential is seen in the online sales to end customers (B-to-C). Figure 6-1 compares forecasts from various sources.