And consumers can win this battle. Of course, nobody really wants a battle. People get hurt in battles, and resources are wasted. Instead of victory, I would prefer to see persuasion win the day. The truth is, in fact the story of the last year in retailing, is that e-commerce can not completely replace the traditional shopping experience.
People still like to kick the tires.
They like to deal with real-live humans. Car dealers will say that you can't allow a free market because people will test drive at dealerships and then buy on the Net. Maybe they will, but that's not what's happening in the rest of the retail world. Big traditional chains like Macy's and Wal-Mart are reporting record earnings. Maybe they sell cars plus services or accessories online.