All Calm At Online Sales

From the heady days of the dot com era to the new dot calm, reports suggest that online sales are losing steam. From the boom years where growth regularly touched 25% analysts say the turning point has arrived and growth will continue to slow through the decade. The slowdown is a result of several forces. Sales on the Internet are expected to reach $116 billion this year, or 5 percent (expected to grow to 7% by 2011) of all retail sales, making it harder to maintain the same high growth rates. At the same time, consumers seem to be experiencing Internet fatigue and are changing their buying habits. The slowdown comes as most adult Americans, and many of their children, are already shopping online. Other factors include the push by companies like Apple, Starbucks and the big shopping malls to make the in-store experience more compelling. Read more.