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Thursday
- August 3, 2000
Etailers Violate Privacy
Policies
According to the AP: "Without knowing it, some
Internet shoppers are forking over more than cash for their
purchases. Several online retailers have been giving their
customers' personal information to a marketing company.
Privacy groups called the practice an 'unforgivable breach' of confidentiality.
A security and privacy firm that does risk assessments for Internet retailers
says that four such sites have forwarded personally identifiable information
to the marketing company, Coremetrics, despite the retailers' privacy policies..."
Click
here for the full story. [Link no longer active]
Online Home and Garden Market
to Explode in Growth
The seeds have been planted in the U.S. online home and
garden market, and if cared for properly, this ecommerce
opportunity could bloom into a $4 billion business in 2004,
according to IDC.
"The online home and garden
market is in its infancy. The hurdle of selling furniture
online has delayed its development," said Jim Williamson,
senior analyst for IDC's Consumer eCommerce: Consumer Goods
research. "Over the next two years, however, the market
and the position of those competing in it will change dramatically.
New technology, innovative business models, and a coming
wave of partnerships will transform this market into a
multibillion-dollar opportunity."
IDC believes the key to succeeding
in this market will be effective partnering and suggests
vendors initiate a strategy that incorporates breadth of
products.
"In the home and garden
market, only the garden segment has the potential to grow
large, independent businesses," Williamson said. "Niche
players in the furniture, cooking, or home d‚cor spaces
should form partnerships across segments to compete with
broad category companies."
Partnering for content will
also be critical. Content that aides in decision making
or helps drive choice will be essential.
Right now, traditional brick-and-mortar
companies such as Sears and Wal-Mart have an advantage
in this market. They bring a loyal customer base, trusted
brand name, and deep retail pockets to the online world.
However, IDC believes that online-only brands will build
strategies to extend their reach into the offline world.
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