Susan J. Marks G lobal e-commerce is fast becoming a reality as companies scramble to capitalize on new markets. But it's not an easy row to hoe.
Roadblocks hamper e-tailing growth across vast expanses of the world.
Consider the Pacific Rim and Asia. With a population approaching 3 billion, the area represents the largest potential online market in the world. San Jose, CA-based Bargain America, for example, does a whopping business in Japan. In fact, last year the Japanese-language site was ranked the fourth most popular there by Nikkei Net Home Page, a site run by the largest business newspaper in Japan. Bargain America even surpassed English-language powerhouse Amazon.