The future of retailing, he says, might combine Web efficiency with the mall's social experience. I don't see the Internet putting the shopping mall out of business. But one day we might walk into the mall and see there's only one item for every style in the store. When it comes to shopping, Molly Heimert likes hustle and bustle. That's why retail Web sites that caught her eye had a lot of bells and whistles.
Online shopping gets kind of long and boring.
The sites would be a lot better if they at least had background music. There, she found alphabetical listings for her favorite stores, American Eagle Outfitters , J. Crew and Gap . Some retail sites impressed her more than others. Some she looked for, such as Old Navy and Banana Republic, don't have Web sites that are up and running. At a regular store, you walk in and see shirts in one section and pants in another.