Multi-Channel Commerce & Retailing

Very true, retail websites lag behind technology innovations, for some reasons.

For most retailers, the online shopping channel is just an alternate or enhanced revenue path, which offers comparably less revenue. It is not worth for a retailer to spend more money for unstable and unproven technology. So retailers wait for sometime before burning their hands for online innovations. They spend more money, effort and innovation for managing their stores and other outlets, Most people still prefer shopping in the store than shopping online. Many retailers have already burnt their hands in selecting technology at an early stage, with no ROI - be it B2C or B2B.

Amazon and eBay are way ahead of other retailers in technology usage for B2B. Their affiliate programs using Web Services. API is an example of technology usage. As Amazon and eBay have no physical store, their business model revolves around technology usage for promoting B2B and B2C.

I disagree with Pillai's point "Most people still prefer shopping in the store than shopping online". There are quite a number of high end customers who would prefer to shop online. A couple of months back I came across a prospect where the vendor was trying to integrate into his online shopping portal features like forums among his customers, real time chat, socializing, reviewing the products, etc with other customers on products available at his website.

I also totally disagree with Mr Pillai's points, Sales figures are increasing tremendously in retail sector through online media. Lets take up the software reselling industry example, IN UK all the major manufacturers (Adobe, Microsoft, Symantec, McAfee, Corel etc) do push most of their stock through online media.
Not only amazon & ebay are the online retail giants who don't have a physical presence, there are thousands of e- businesses running across European countries and countries like Australia and earning more then a physically situated business.
Innovations are also happening in e- retailing, look at the back end processes, companies are more up to date about their stock rotations than any physical store and tracking from the sales to customer behaviors without doubt.

I agree with Mr. Ankit. Virtual store concept is performing well. In India the trend is also changing. As per my experience, there is no alternative to virtual market.

I agree that b2b sites are not upto the mark but in India people hardly shop online. Most of the b2b sites are only used for business purposes like for vendors, sellers and manufacturers. Instead in India it is increasingly becoming a source for companies and businesses rather than individual use.

In my recent experience, there is a growing trend amongst traditional B2B businesses in expanding the online channel to better serve their customers. An example of this is offering product configurator tools online that provide the guided selling support for custom design products. B2B sites are missing the big picture if they don't reinvent themselves soon...

Many business-to-business (B2B) CEOs view marketing as the domain of consumer goods brands. They are wrong. Among Interbrand’s 10 most valuable global brands, we find Microsoft, Intel, IBM and GE. All generate far more B2B revenues than sales to end consumers.