In addition to tins web merchants are willing to sell cheaper than stores because they have less overhead. During this holiday season some web merchants are even providing free shipping to customers. They are offering online coupons and rebates because they are trying to establish customer loyalty. Web security is not the issue that it used to be. The fear that consumers have is overblown.
Most merchants offer secure connections.
In the unlikely event that someone does get your card number you are only legally responsible for 50 dollars of the theft. E-commerce is growing quickly. One of the main reasons for this growth is the ease at which a company can get into e-commerce. Designing and maintaining a website can be done for a fraction of the cost of running a store. Stores have overhead that includes land, building, large inventory, and a large amount of employees.