“There is widespread belief that price considerations are the overriding
 

 
reason for purchasing online. However, for time-pressured consumers, the ability
 

 
to do their shopping when convenient is likely to outweigh both cost and the time
 

 
needed to gain experience using the net...”

 

 


 

 
By 2002, consumer online shopping will have exploded to $5bn, compared to $111m
 

 
in 1997. Traditional “pure play” companies must consider their future
 

 
online presence now, or risk being left behind in the race to serve the eConsumer.

 

 
The type of products consumers have been most commonly purchasing online, have
 

 
been largely mass-produced low-touch products, such as books and CD's. However
 

 
as technology improved and payment methods became more sophisticated, e-tailers
 

 
are developing improved ways of representing and fulfiling consumer expectations
 

 
of high touch products such as cars.

 

 


 

 
B2C eCommerce:

 

 
Opportunities and implications to 2005 investigates which products and services
 

 
are likely to prosper most as the eCommerce revolution continues to accelerate.
 

 


 

 
It also examines the level of mistrust surrounding online shopping, the key reasons
 

 
preventing consumers from shopping online and sugggests how retailers and

 

 
financial institutions are attempting to overcome these barriers.

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: Browsing and the Internet

Chapter 3: From browsing to buying

Chapter 4: The online eTailer

Chapter 5: B2C enabling technology

Chapter 6: Conclusions