Abstract
Worldwide the internet is having a huge impact on consumers and business
alike, in terms of interaction, ease of use and increased profitability.
E-commerce is steadily growing along with consumer internet usage.
In 2007, online sales were estimated to be US$260bn and have a growth rate of
approximately 25%, with apparel accounting for US$24.2bn of those sales.
Besides offering significant advantages to consumers, online retailing has
commercial advantages as well. It allows much larger inventory breadth, offers
cost savings through a lack of physical infrastructure and overheads, and
potentially offers a global consumer base to almost any size of business.
This report includes:
- The main players in the US and Europe
- Advantages, difficulties and considerations of online selling
- Market trends 2005-2014
- Differentiation of approach for online business
- E-commerce vs traditional retailing
- Legislation and trade advantages
- Growth, expansion and the future
|