Online shopping is the process consumers go through to purchase products or services over the internet. An online shop, Internet shop, webshop or online store evokes the physical analogy of buying products or services at a bricks-and-mortar retailer or in a shopping mall. It is an electronic commerce application used for B2B or B2C. Online shopping is popular mainly because of its speed and ease of use. Some issues of concern can include fluctuating exchange rates for foreign currencies, local and international laws and delivery methods. Price comparison An advantage of shopping online is being able to use the power of the internet to seek out the lowest prices for items or services. For example if you are buying a digital camera you should enter "digital camera" into a search engine or a price search engine. Most price search engines have the advantage of store ratings and reviews. Getting the lowest price is important but it is more important to make sure the merchant or store your are purchasing from is reputable. [edit] Steps when buying online * Browse product categories using a web browser * Put items into virtual shopping cart (or market basket). Just as in a physical store viewing the contents of the cart can be done at any time. Quantaties of products can be changed or deleted. * Checkout Log in or register by choosing a username and a password. Enter personal data. Billing address Shipping address (can be different from the billing address) Phone number E-Mail address (usually optional) Choose means of payment Choose delivery speed and method (post, courier and logistics service, etc.) * Confirm order After editing the personal data a confirmation page is displayed so that the online shopper can approve, change or abort the order. * Logout In addition to a shopping cart system a recurring user could be recognized again by storing a "Cookie" on his computer. That way he can purchase an item by just clicking on it without having to login and enter the credit and shipping information again. Amazon.com was granted the United States Patent Number 5,960,411 for this method - the famous Amazon "One-Click Patent". [edit] Means of payment Online shoppers commonly use their Credit card for making payments, however some systems enable users to create accounts and pay by alternative means, such as * Debit card * All kinds of Electronic money, Ecash (or digital money) * Cash on delivery (C.O.D.) * Cheque * Money transfer / delivery on payment * Postal money order Once a payment has been accepted the goods or services can either be downloaded from the internet or delivered to the consumer via traditional means. [edit] Security issues * User and payment data is encrypted by SSL when it is transferred on the Internet. * Quality seals can be placed on the Shop webpage if it has undergone an independent assessment and meets all requirements of the company issuing the seal. The purpose of these seals is to increase the confidence of the online shoppers, the existence of many different seals foils this effort to a certain extent. * Privacy of personal information is a big issue. In spite of Privacy Guidelines of the OECD, for example, privacy violations still occur and hamper eCommerce from developing to its full potential. [edit] Setting up a shopping cart system * Simple systems allow the offline administration of products and categories. The shop is then generated as HTML files and graphics that can be uploaded to a webspace. These systems don't use an online data_base_. * A high end solution can be bought or rented as a standalone program or as an addition to an ERP program. It is usually installed on the company's own webserver and may integrate very well into the existing supply chain so that ordering, payment, delivery, accounting and warehousing can be automated to a large extent. * Other solutions allow the user to register and create an online shop on a portal that hosts multiple shops at the same time. * Open Source solutions can be adapted and installed on a webspace. * There are also commercial systems that can be tailored to ones needs so that the shop does not have to be created from scratch. By using a _frame_work already existing, software modules for different functionalities required by a webshop can be adapted and combined. [edit] History * 1990: Tim Berners-Lee wrote "The WorldWideWeb browser" using a NeXT computer. * 1994: Netscape released the Navigator browser in October under the code name Mozilla. Pizza Hut offered pizza ordering on its Web page. The first online bank opened. Attempts to offer flower delivery and magazine sub_script_ions online. "Adult" materials were also commercially available very soon. Netscape 1.0 in late 1994 introduced SSL encryption that made transactions secure. * 1995: Jeff Bezos launched Amazon.com and the first commercial 24 hr. internet only radio station "Radio HK" started broadcasting. Dell and Cisco began to aggressively use Internet for commercial transactions. * 1996: eBay was founded. * 1998: Electronic postal stamps can be purchased and downloaded for printing from the Web. * 1999: business.com was sold for US $7.5 million (purchased 1997 for US $150,000) The peer-to-peer filesharing software "Napster" was launched. * 1999: The UK's first graphical Internet shopping mall (The Virtual Mall) was launched. * 2000: The dot-com bust. * 2001: Merger of AOL and Time Warner. * 2003: Amazon.com: first-ever full-year profit. * 2004: kombiz: In Association with Amazon.com, Founded 2004. A Complete Amazon shopping associate online shopping site,, [edit] See also * Bricks and clicks business model * Business-to-business electronic commerce * Business-to-consumer electronic commerce * Electronic business * Electronic commerce * Enterprise resource planning * Internet fraud * Retailer * Shopping cart * Shopping mall * Online shopping rewards [edit] External _link_s * Shopping safely online * Policies for online privacy * Comparison of various online shopping portals book store 92388 target store 89638 wholesale merchandise store 77880 furniture store 77559 yahoo store 63416 disney store 58425 department store 56683 store 46768 pet store 38229 jewelry store 35664 border book store 34861 clothing store 31999 computer store 30208 music store 29289 book chicago house peace store 29228 drug store 28740 shoes store 26842 toy store 24865 retail store 24456 online store 23633 grocery store 23494 fabric store 23263 best buy store 22328 christian book store 21235 dollar store 20554 wal mart store 18691 barnes and noble book store 18012 baby store 17427 the company store 17213 electronic store 17026 the ups store 16862 online book store 16480 kohls department store 16320 michaels craft store 16319 express clothing store 15965 macys department store 15596 hardware store 15414 golf store 15232 container store 15076 craft store 14850 room store 14622 retail store display 14395 auto part store 14067 sporting goods store 13784 party supply store 13227 retail store supply 12188 the container store 12125 party store 11768 comic book store 11659 express store 10948 discount store 10695 outlet store 10693 marshalls store 10521 bob store 10440 sport store 10314 lazarus department store 9739 foleys department store 9405 health food store 9387 ross store 9085 cd store 9042 family christian book store 8986 department richs store 8883 company store 8492 paintball store 8091 home store 8048 store fixture 8042 liquor store 7973 adult store 7925 payless shoes store 7758 video store 7521 adult video store 7448 online drug store 7419 lingerie store 7294 food store 7196 home depot store 6990 target department store 6980 family christian store 6949 nba store 6674 vermont country store 6520 jones store 6446 dillards department store 6413 99 cent store 6344 lowes store 6295 home improvement store 6249 sears store 6234 kmart store 6205 candy store 6163 lowes home improvement store 6083 beer store 6029 giant food store 5935 chapter book store 5932 spy store 5912 hobby store 5889 may department store 5849 discovery store 5822 online music store 5815 boston store 5798 thrift store 5775 sports store 5758 bed bath beyond store book store 35664 border book store 29289 book chicago house peace store 22328 christian book store 18691 barnes and noble book store 16862 online book store 11768 comic book store 9042 family christian book store 5935 chapter book store 5646 used book store 5509 walden book store 4207 adult book store 4199 catholic book store 3794 on line book store 3593 boarder book store 3357 coles book store 2853 lifeway christian book store 2479 hastings book store 2384 university book store 2302 college book store 2302 half price book store 2206 strand book store 2165 family book store 2045 bible book store 1990 powells book store 1916 dalton book store 1800 b dalton book store 1703 university of washington book store 1681 amazon book store 1672 barn noble book store 1418 lifeway book store 1345 lds book store 1302 barnes and noble online book store 1133 penn state book store 1105 book longs store 1101 waldens book store 1033 northwestern book store 1008 majors book store 985 stanford book store 917 canadian book store 888 world biggest book store 887 notre dame book store 877 berean book store 877 medical book store 862 barnes and noble book store location 849 discount book store 837 baptist book store 818 tattered cover book store 817 national book store 756 book l m store 746 chapter 11 book store 727 antiquarian book complete store traveller 725 border book store location 690 tis book store 664 light house christian book store 659 online christian book store 657 city light book store 628 harvard book store 625 ucla book store 607 child book store 604 university of wisconsin book store 602 crown book store 585 book store vromans 583 berean christian book store 567 bill book store 564 barnes noble college book store 551 university of toronto book store 542 air book civil patrol store 540 book rothers store 539 indigo book store 524 online comic book store 524 book mph store 520 uw book store 507 book cap store 496 anders book store 493 university of texas book store 489 book book library store 488 book kinokuniya store 480 chinese book store 479 popular book store 474 j m book store 473 university of maryland book store 471 japanese book store 468 university book store seattle 465 book store canada 464 brown book store 464 toronto book store 461 byu book store 453 syracuse university book store 449 mardels christian book store 449 usc book store 446 book store franchise 446 nebraska book store 443 african american book store 440 university of georgia book store 439 book store chicago 431 deseret book store 430 online used book store 428 ubc book store 427 san diego book store target store 6990 target department store 3842 target store online 1460 target store location 1295 target dept store 996 locator store target 777 target retail store 738 gift registry store target 552 store super target 384 target department store online 362 bridal registry store target 310 hours store target 291 employment store target 232 target discount store 153 job store target 136 coupon store target 125 target store shopping online 114 target shopping store 105 registry store target wedding 99 coupon in store target 82 new store target 82 registry store target 74 application store target 65 greatland store target 62 australia store target 61 target store inc 60 site store target web 59 find store target 58 baby registry store target 58 history store target 54 com store target 52 department location store target 51 application job store target 51 clothing store target 49 target store credit card 49 finder store target 47 california store target 46 ads store target 46 diego san store target 45 ad store target 45 houston store target 45 minnesota store target 43 chicago store target 40 corporate office store target 39 grant store target 38 directory store target 37 store target veteran 36 line store target 35 chicago in store target 35 logo store target 34 bridal department registry store target 33 sales store target 31 michigan store target 29 hawaii store target 29 home page store target 29 new store target york 28 address store target 28 seattle store target 27 application online store target 27 commercial store target 27 department employment store target 27 near store target 26 customer service store target 26 furniture store target 25 angeles los store target 25 florida store target 25 headquarters store target 25 minneapolis store target 25 store target texas wholesale merchandise store 279 dollar store merchandise wholesale furniture store 5374 online furniture store 1918 north carolina furniture store 1892 brick furniture store 1699 dump furniture store 1497 discount furniture store 1397 houston furniture store 1388 furniture outlet store 1228 value city furniture store 1202 furniture store chicago 1129 wick furniture store 1039 the room store furniture 1016 levitz furniture store 1001 havertys furniture store 991 ashley furniture store 967 macys furniture store 965 ikea furniture store 949 furniture store florida 935 dallas furniture store 854 san diego furniture store 851 baby furniture store 829 rhodes furniture store 818 furniture store maryland 812 american furniture store 801 bob furniture store 779 oak furniture store 774 unfinished furniture store 772 furniture store in maryland 735 home furniture store 731 toronto furniture store 709 massachusetts furniture store 708 leons furniture store 705 atlanta furniture store 671 furniture store in chicago 633 furniture store new jersey 631 furniture store nj 629 bedroom furniture store 622 haynes furniture store 621 los angeles furniture store 620 furniture store in houston 618 the door store furniture 615 bombay furniture store 582 boston furniture store 569 ethan allen furniture store 564 arizona furniture store 563 modern furniture store 552 furniture store in new jersey 527 art van furniture store 526 furniture store las vegas 525 virginia furniture store 498 furniture mor store 498 new york furniture store 495 contemporary furniture store 493 furniture in nc store 492 furniture store in north carolina 482 seamans furniture store 480 furniture store canada 480 dania furniture store 477 big furniture lots store 477 goods furniture store 477 wickes furniture store 475 furniture store california 464 furniture store in florida 464 used furniture store 459 badcock furniture store 457 furniture store in toronto 455 rooms to go furniture store 450 retail furniture store 439 hom furniture store 438 domain furniture store 435 furniture store in san diego 425 michigan furniture store 424 furniture store in massachusetts 424 patio furniture store 422 furniture store in dallas 417 furniture store in atlanta 417 denver furniture store 412 furniture lack store 411 homemakers furniture store 410 furniture store in virginia 407 the brick furniture store canada 406 workbench furniture store 404 miami furniture store 397 furniture in nj store 395 furniture store in michigan 392 furniture store connecticut 391 texas furniture store 390 wicker furniture store 385 office furniture store 383 minnesota furniture store 375 furniture store orlando 371 furniture store seattle 359 leather furniture store 358 finger furniture store 351 kansas city furniture store 349 child furniture store 346 san antonio furniture store 342 furniture store in los angeles 340 the mill store unfinished furniture 338 furniture georgia in store yahoo store 1719 yahoo store design 1606 yahoo store designer 1433 yahoo store developer 1323 building store yahoo 1131 yahoo store web developer 302 design elro store yahoo 198 b b store yahoo 179 build yahoo store 149 order store yahoo 120 yahoo store manager 116 yahoo store redesign 111 yahoo online store 86 yahoo store template 80 yahoo store setup 70 open a yahoo store 64 yahoo store builder 60 store washington yahoo 51 yahoo store profits 48 yahoo store front 48 yahoo store rating 47 shop store yahoo 46 yahoo store forum 45 book store yahoo 45 store vacation yahoo 41 yahoo store help 40 create yahoo store 39 backup yahoo store 34 rtml store yahoo 33 yahoo store order system 32 directory store yahoo 30 yahoo store coupon 28 review store yahoo 27 com store yahoo 27 yahoo store creation 26 by profits step step store system yahoo disney store 1670 disney store coupon 858 the disney store online 788 walt disney store 748 disney store location 611 disney outlet store 426 world of disney store 406 disney store canada 373 disney store com 341 disney store discount 312 closing disney store 284 disney store coupon code 257 disney catalog store 190 disney store uk 144 disney store locator 137 disney free shipping store 128 disney store online coupon 123 disney store home 120 walt disney world store 112 code discount disney store 109 disney retail store 105 downtown disney store 91 card credit disney store 90 canada disney in store 77 disney store sale 74 closings disney store 74 disney store code 73 disney store discount coupon 69 disney job store 69 disney store toronto 67 baby disney store 67 disney store on line 66 disney japan store 60 disney new store york 58 disney employment store 54 disney movie store 51 canadian disney store 50 disney news store 46 disney store clothing 43 disney florida store 42 disney toy store 41 coupon disney free shipping store 40 disney orlando store 38 disney location retail store 36 chicago disney store 36 disney ny store 35 california disney store 35 disney inc store 33 catalog disney outlet store 33 disney display store 32 disney store ticket 29 australia disney store 28 close disney store 27 disney store kid clothes 27 disney store maternity clothes 27 costume disney store 27 disney layoff store 27 walt disney store online 25 disney edmonton store 25 disney las store vegas 25 disney store vancouver department store 16480 kohls department store 15965 macys department store 10314 lazarus department store 9739 foleys department store 8986 department richs store 6990 target department store 6446 dillards department store 5889 may department store 5639 department kaufmanns store 5336 dillard department store 4934 marshalls department store 4796 value city department store 4492 federated department store 4469 department kaufmans store 4010 department ross store 3921 sears department store 3855 department hechts store 3165 belk department store 3105 century 21 department store 2486 department parisian store 2435 belks department store 2433 department mcraes store 2349 department may robinsons store 2261 department lord store taylor 2111 filenes department store 1898 ames department store 1792 department goodys store 1762 bealls department store 1732 department kauffmans store 1711 department parisians store 1466 wal mart department store 1440 department store online 1371 department store strawbridges 1344 department may robinson store 1337 khols department store 1147 department riches store 1137 macy department store 1136 bloomingdales department store 1102 department mervyns store 1068 department goldsmith store 1056 department rose store 898 department store credit card 834 department stage store 789 jc penney department store 778 department store yonkers 698 nordstrom department store 692 department hects store 676 marshall field department store 643 department lowes store 623 department peebles store 621 kohl department store 614 the may department store company 612 barr department famous store 601 boscovs department store 583 barneys department store 575 department frank meier store 575 department store younkers 570 department proffits store 566 department store strawbridge 553 bay department store 549 kmart department store 542 burdines department store 506 best buy department store 503 bloomingdale department store 500 dilliards department store 494 department kaufman store 449 department kaufmann store 449 department store new york 434 harrods department store 419 bon department marche store 416 john lewis department store 415 department foley store 414 department flemington store 411 department jones store 403 department store winner 399 department express store 384 department h m store 384 target department store online 382 department proffitts store 358 nordstroms department store 350 department foley s store 346 department rich s store 343 department meijers store 341 discount department store 341 department freds store 337 neiman marcus department store 331 bon department store ton 326 cato department store 324 department gottschalks store 319 department robinsons store 315 coles department store 305 department kauffman store 303 major department store 302 carsons department store 291 department hall store 289 department loehmans store 288 marshall department store 286 saks fifth avenue department store 281 bob department store