This week while attending the Internet Retailer Conference & Expo in Chicago, I sat in on a session called “What top execs need to know about the future of e-commerce platforms,” which was presented by Forrester’s Brian Walker. In this session, Walker brought something up that we have been debating internally at Blueport Commerce for a while – whether we still need the ‘e’ in ‘e-commerce.’
Because we specialize in “big-ticket” retail, a lot of the companies we work with use their e-commerce sites not only to sell direct to consumers, but also to educate shoppers who will ultimately make their purchase in a local store. So we tend to think of our platform as cross-channel and not solely ‘e-commerce’.
Walker went on to say that Forrester (which typically has conservative estimates compared to other analysts firms) believes 51% of all retail sales will be made or researched online by 2013. He also pointed out that e-commerce sites will not be driving all those sales. With the emergence of new devices like the iPad, consumers will be shopping from nearly everywhere – TRUE multi-channel shopping. And if that’s the case, the term ‘e-commerce’ will address only a piece of the entire commerce pie.
What do you think? Is it about time we drop the ‘e’ in ‘e-commerce’?
Copyright 2010, Official Blog of Blueport Commerce
Because we specialize in “big-ticket” retail, a lot of the companies we work with use their e-commerce sites not only to sell direct to consumers, but also to educate shoppers who will ultimately make their purchase in a local store. So we tend to think of our platform as cross-channel and not solely ‘e-commerce’.
Walker went on to say that Forrester (which typically has conservative estimates compared to other analysts firms) believes 51% of all retail sales will be made or researched online by 2013. He also pointed out that e-commerce sites will not be driving all those sales. With the emergence of new devices like the iPad, consumers will be shopping from nearly everywhere – TRUE multi-channel shopping. And if that’s the case, the term ‘e-commerce’ will address only a piece of the entire commerce pie.
What do you think? Is it about time we drop the ‘e’ in ‘e-commerce’?
Copyright 2010, Official Blog of Blueport Commerce
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