Market research seems to suggest that about a third of us really don't like shopping and would be very happy to do this over the Internet. This is a rather larger percentage than the 15 percent or so drop in volume that would spell the end for many retail operations. This situation is not only coming about in the retail industries, it is already having a profound effect in banking and in travel. Internet banks can process a transaction for a few cents, whereas a bricks and mortar bank is looking at well over a dollar to process a transaction. If they have really got their wits about them any large retailer, bank or travel agent will already be creating an Internet subsidiary.
Traditional retailing is already as good as dead.
Shopping will become more and more linked with entertainment, for those who think that shopping can ever be a pleasant experience. For those who don't, the Internet is the way forward. There will also be a division between things that most people consider to be a chore to shop for, and those that we consider to be a pleasure. Clearly most people do not enjoy the weekly trip to stock up at the local supermarket and would be most grateful for regular deliveries. On the other hand, buying a new car will almost always involve a test drive.