Online retailers are doing business in the era of the empowered shopper, a very competitive environment that pits massive omnichannel retail enterprises against even the smallest of family-run, garage-based sellers.
Shopping has fundamentally changed in just a generation. As recently as the 1980s, retailers effectively owned the shopping experience. The customer could purchase only what was offered at nearby brick-and-mortar stores, during “normal” business hours, at the price dictated to them.
