20% of UK adults (9.5 million) are expected to have Internet access by March 2000, creating what would appear to be a large opportunity for commerce development in the retail sector. Increased competition in the Internet access sector will stimulate more adults to take up the connection although this could also pose a threat to existing operations. With faster connection speeds and increased accessibility has the world wide web become an information and entertainment channel to rival television? If so can the medium be harnessed to the shopping sector.

Online Shopping looks at growth and development of online shopping services offered by store based retailers within the wider context of e-commerce and online trading by specialist operations whilst also examining the threat to high street retailers by such services. This report contains both consumer and trade research among a sample of executives from major retail companies active in online shopping developments with marketing responsibility for the technology.