The Pluses and Minuses of Online Shopping Essay

The Pluses and Minuses of Online Shopping - Essay Example (Kenney, M. & Curry, J., 1999) But although this newfangled idea has gone this far, research on the subject of e-commerce and Internet marketing remains largely confined to the difficulties encountered by companies going online, including its advantages and disadvantages to them. An important aspect of the phenomenon yet to be fully explored is the sentiment and attitude of consumers toward online shopping. As attempts get underway to create the ultimate e-mall, the question may be asked: Are the consumers willing and ready to accept and patronize such a store in place of the shopping mall This research project will thus give a fresh look at Internet marketing from the perspectives of the consumers. It will seek to identify the advantages and disadvantages the consumers derive from online shopping, with the end in view of determining whether the marketing process helps promote consumer welfare and interests at all, the way the traditional stores do so. 9) In going to the regular stores, one has to contend with the traffic and pollution, spend for the thrift and search for a parking space that is often not there. Do these count as arguments for buying online instead Corporations, both established and new, are turning to the Internet to create new markets and reorganize existing markets. It began in 1990 when the US National Science Foundation approved the use of the Internet for non-academic uses. From only 5 million users in 1993, the figure jumped to 62 million in 1997 and 100 million in 1998. According to Internet provider Uumet Technologies, Internet traffic continues to double every 100 days that this has become "one of the fastest adoption rates any technology has ever experienced." (Yang, S., 2001) Worldwide, there could be 550 million users and a far greater number of .com sites. The latter websites are made up of companies engaged in online retail of all sorts of products and services. E-commerce is transforming the traditional retail industry. For this business sector, e-commerce is eliminating the costs of retail branches, thus lowering the initial entry costs and the fixed costs associated with retail stores. (Kenny, M. &