While it may seem like a lifetime ago to many of us, the idea of shopping online is a trend that has actually just become main stream in the last ten to fifteen years. Today, people all across the globe have access to information, news and shopping at the tips of their fingers at all times throughout the day from just about anywhere in the world. The introduction of the Internet has drastically changed the way that many of us shop, sell and live our day to day lives.

Reaching a global marketplace was once a dream that many retailers did not have the resources, capital or marketing savvy to realize. Once reserved for only the elite brands, the Fortune 500 and the financially powerful, the reality of reaching customers on a worldwide scale is now a reality to almost anyone with an internet connection, a computer and a desire to succeed.

Prior to the online shopping phenomenon, retailers were able to reach only a small population in close geographic proximity to their physical location. Along the same line, consumers used to be limited to the merchants located closest to their homes. Many retailers specialized in specific types of merchandise, and if they did not have available what was needed, their customers did not have an alternative source to turn to. Looking for items like scanner accessories or an iPhone casing would have been confined to a minimal number of resources. Today, consumers can go online and search for these items all over the world.

The influx of online shopping options creates a marketplace that benefits both the merchants and the consumers. Merchants have the ability to expand their potential customer base exponentially, and the flood of new merchants provides the consumers with the benefit of competitive pricing as the retailers compete for their business on a global level.


Australian Foundation