Something struck me the other day that I haven't been able to shake just yet – my 8 year old daughter said something like this to me – 'why can't we just go to the store to buy this, why do we need to shop online and find the best deal'. I had some good reasons (mostly driven by my desire not to deal with holiday crowds and not wanting to buy her another shopkin) but her question really caught me a bit off guard. It made me pause and think about my shopping behaviors.

The really fascinating part for me is that price was one of the first things I thought about. As I look back to just a couple of years ago, my first inclination would have been just to go to a store (and deal with the crazy crowds), perhaps make an outing of it, grab some lunch, and probably hit up a few other stores. Fast-forward to today and I gravitate to grabbing my morning coffee, opening up my computer, browsing and then browsing some more to see if I can get a better deal. It seems that I have somehow been reconditioned to think and behave differently.

I think all retailers, be it in store or online, are being confronted with some harsh realities. Lets discuss the online piece. In thinking this through, I have come to realize that companies who operate online are dealing with a complex set of market forces that will require them to continue to evolve their online and overall business strategies.