In case you haven’t noticed, internet retail is booming these days. Ecommerce has found its stride and in some cases, is flying past brick-and-mortar retail shops at a rapid pace. In other cases, brick-and-mortar and e-commerce work nicely hand-in-hand – running a store on the ground and a solid e-commerce biz simultaneously. If you were at MAIC recently, then you know already internet retail is growing exponentially and Market America |SHOP.COM are right there with it. Considering the impact this is having on the growth of our business (as well as for 20,000 UnFranchise owners), I thought it would be helpful to look at the latest numbers in support of this exciting growth in order to understand just how much opportunity there is for internet entrepreneurs.
Here’s a look at the latest stats:
According to TheAmericanGenius.com, a recent look at internet-based retail stats was pretty mind blowing, “e-commerce sales in the United States grew 12.6 percent in 2010, totaling $176 billion. In 2015, the total is expected to grow to $279 billion.” Those stats (and the rapid growth) are pretty impressive, but not too surprising, right?
No matter what way you look at it, e-commerce is a growing business and people just want more. Despite our human inclination to leisurely peruse shops, people are busy – super busy! And, the convenience and cost-effectiveness of shopping online makes it incredibly appealing. According to TheAmericanGenius.com’s recent article, it makes sense that the “United States is a big proponent of online shopping being that a main focus of ours is capitalism. And with technology advancing and offering more websites and apps to buy our products on, it seems as though online shopping is the most effective and convenient way to obtain our products.”
No matter what your preference may be, it’s time to face it – internet retail businesses are not only the wave of the future, they’re the reality (and the bread and butter) of today. “Over time, this may prove to be harmful to the freestanding “brick-and-mortar” stores as their sales may begin experiencing more of a decline, but so far, they’re getting creative and keeping consumers attracted (think Target’s Cartwheel app that only works in store, offering surprise discounts),” says TheAmericanGenius.com.
What’s your take on e-commerce today? How are you making it work for you?
