ONLINE SHOPPING FUTURIST: KEY TRENDS AND INNOVATIONS IN RETAIL eCOMMERCE

The way online shopping futurists tell it, the history of eCommerce is tied to the development of the Internet and the World Wide Web. For entertainment, perhaps a brief timeline of the field’s history is in order:

1960s-70s: The Early Years

The early foundations for online shopping were laid with the creation of electronic data interchange (EDI) and teleshopping in the 1970s, or so online shopping futurists suggest, which allowed businesses to share documents and consumers to shop at home via television respectively.

1982: The First Online Marketplace

The first known online marketplace, Boston Computer Exchange, was launched in 1982. It was more of an online classified ads system, but it set the groundwork for future ecommerce platforms.

1984: The First Online Shopping System

In the UK, Michael Aldrich pioneered online shopping. He connected a modified domestic TV to a real-time transaction processing computer via a domestic telephone line.

1991: The Internet Goes Public

The public gained access to the Internet, and this made it possible for sellers to reach a much larger audience, as many online shopping futurists have touched on.

1994: The First Secure Online Transactions

The arrival of the Netscape browser in 1994 brought with it SSL encryption, meaning data could be transmitted securely over the web. This was a crucial development for online shopping as it enabled secure credit card transactions.

1995: The Birth of Major Online Retailers

In 1995, online shopping futurists remind us that both Amazon and eBay were launched. In the former case, Amazon started as an online bookstore and later expanded into a wide variety of products, eventually becoming the world’s largest online retailer. As for eBay, an online auction site, it also broadened its product offering over time.

1998: PayPal Emerges

PayPal was established in 1998, providing an additional secure method for online transactions and contributing to the growth of online sales.

2000 and Beyond: Growth and Expansion

In the early 2000s, online shopping continued to grow, with more traditional retailers establishing an online presence and improvements in internet connectivity making online shopping more accessible. The popularity of mobile devices also led to the rise of mobile commerce.

2005: Amazon Introduces Prime

Amazon Prime, a subscription-based service offering free two-day shipping, was launched in 2005. This significantly increased customer loyalty to Amazon.

2007-2010: The Rise of Mobile Commerce

With the introduction of smartphones like the iPhone, mobile commerce began to take off. Retailers started developing apps to make shopping even more convenient for customers.

2020-Present: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 accelerated the shift towards online shopping as many physical stores were forced to close or limit their operations, and consumers chose to avoid public places for safety.

Throughout its history, online shopping has grown and evolved as technology has advanced, and it’s likely to continue to do so in the future.