These multiple formats for consumers have challenged retailers to identify approaches to managing the shopping experience.
Retailing is a particularly salient industry in which to study the impacts of technology.
Consumer shopping has been the traditional end point of the product pipeline. The use of electronic means to support this, and other transactions, has been identified as electronic commerce. The interactive technologies of television, CD-ROM and the Internet are key tools to support electronic commerce. As the final connection between goods and the ultimate consumer, the retailing industry is in a critical position on the product pipeline dealing with manufacturers, suppliers and distributors of finished products. The work will define the key elements of the shopping experience and explore the use of technologies across the retail formats.