The traditional retailer is under threat. The supermarket of the future may well be in your own living-room. New technology has already transformed shopping methods - both for the consumer and for the retailer - and there is plenty more to come. This book looks at the impact digital technology is likely to have on all aspects of retailing in the light of developments currently being tried or which are in the pipeline. It reviews the recent history, and the background to electronic shopping both in the UK and in the USA. It profiles the major companies involved in the development of new technology and the competing options for the retailer - the Internet v Online services; video on demand and virtual reality. Case studies of companies like Wal-Mart and Sainsbury's illustrate both problems and solutions. What will be the effects on employment, property, delivery, price etc.? Could virtual retailers and manufacturers of popular branded goods by-pass the store or supermarket altogether? This is a book which everyone involved in retailing and who wants to stay that way will need to read!
