E-commerce is definitely booming, even during recession many consumers are turning to shopping online as an alternative source for goods and services. One of the main reasons for this trend, is cost effectiveness. Because buying a space on the virtual web may be cheaper than renting a physical shop. In addition, it is convenient for consumers as the website is available 24/7 and payment via paypal and I-banking is fuss free. E-commerce has definitely changed the way our generation spend money. Like how money transactions are done electronically and e-commerce perhaps even promotes the use of credit cards. Thus, changing the way "money" is defined today. Money used to be a physical item which our grandparents store away in their tins underneath their pillows; however, today money seems to exist "virtually"/non-physical. Many people of my generation are comfortable using electronic transactions, which cannot be seen, but this is not neccessary true for the generations before.

E-commerce itself has evolved over the years, becoming more open to the common masses such as students and housewives.

Dreams of starting your own business is just a mere click away :)

One can start up by using blogspot, livejournal and other platforms which provides low-startup cost. Hence, benefiting consumers as products and services will be cheaper. E-commerce also provides the e-retailer the flexiblity of working hours.

E-commerce has also brought changes to the relationship between consumers and retail-owners. With e-commerce, interactions are mainly done online via emails or comment boxes. The sense of human touch can be said to be diminished, as consumers need not ask enquries face to face and retailers are not able to provide their options on the products. hmm do you think that perhaps that is the trend of our society today? being more individualistic and having lesser desire to interact with people physically? Like how we tend to plug into our ipods and chat on IM rather than meet up face-to-face and have good old conversations like in the past.

To say that e-commerce has totally destroyed the "human touch" is unfair. I know of some blogshop owners that share their lives with customers through their blogs, tweeter and facebook. In some ways, it makes the owners more "human" and customers can get to know the owners for who they really are. But the extent of the how true the information is, it is debatable. Sometimes the customers even follow the lives of these blogshop owners so closely like how they do with their pop-idols/celebrities. Thus, it makes it more than just buy a piece of clothing online, rather it is a lifestyle.