That growth is expected to accelerate. E-tailers and retailers bring different weapons to this battle. One analyst calls Net companies little raptors, the small creatures of Jurassic Park fame, because of their fierce nimbleness. It's unlikely that the brand equity of, say, Wal-Mart will be deleted with a few mouse clicks. But with real-world heavyweights like Staples and The Home Depot eyeing the Net in a hungrier way, the betting is still open.
Many retail executives are asleep at the switch.
They believe they have time to wait and see how this distribution unfolds. They will be dead. Americans are brought up with the notion of instant gratification, and for companies to succeed on the Web, they'll need to supply it. Take the case of eToys and Toys R Us. Vroom e-mailed both companies on a Sunday afternoon several months ago and asked each to recommend a birthday present for his little brother.