Some of us have trouble walking and chewing gum at the same time, but Fidelity Investments thinks people are ready to trade stocks and bonds while on the go. So, customers can now request information or even place trades while in transit. The Fidelity executive forecasts other new features for InstantBroker by the end of this year. But the on-line world seems to hold even more possibilities because so many people can coordinate their interests so quickly and so efficiently. Accompany and Mercata list a series of prices that have been negotiated with a manufacturer, based on volume.
Customers can simply say they'll buy at the best price that can be negotiated.
Or they can specify a price and hope that enough demand develops to reach that price. There are also some important differences between Accompany and Mercata. Accompany makes its money by charging suppliers a fee per transaction, while Mercata tacks a surcharge onto the price that consumers agree to pay. In addition, Mercata is focused on drawing traffic directly to its Web site, while Accompany is willing to work through the sites of leading Web communities and suppliers. This feature enables consumers to look at accessories, like a watch, from various angles, just as you would turn it in your hand.