Data Points: Spending It

Online shopping has become a mainstream activity—fully 70 percent of all Internet users ages 14 and up bought something online last year, according to eMarketer. E-commerce accounted for 6.6 percent of all retail sales, but the researcher believes that figure could become as much as 20 percent in the next 10 years. Retailers have to up their game, though; research shows that as people increasingly shop across channels, they're expecting more from retailers. Most of all, shoppers want consistency in salespeople's knowledge of products; the ability to check availability of products in their local store before going to shop; and the ability for salespeople to check inventory at another store and have items delivered from there.