Anonymity or community? Virtual or tactile? Those are the questions raised in two recent articles on e-commerce.
In the Aug. 17 issue of The Advocate, writer Robert Pela discussed the difficulties gay and lesbian bookstores have competing with national chains and e-commerce sites.
Online bookstores offer customers convenience and anonymity, which they might not have in a real store. Against that, Pela’s article, “A Different Fight,” cites that gay and lesbian shops provide community and personal recommendations. Some bookshops have Web sites and links of their own, while others have diversified their retail offerings.
Curiously, Pela seems to feel the Internet breaks up the communal feeling a real bookstore generates. If so, it would be contrary to the many individuals who’ve found the Web has fostered a greater community and communication not only across the country but locally as well.
Another observer of online shopping is The Wall Street Journal’s Catalog Critic, who doesn’t so much criticize catalogs as review products and fulfillment.
The July 9 column, headlined “Where High Tech Isn’t Suitable,” sums up the point of view of the Critic. He not only prefers his shopping experience hands-on, but makes it clear he doesn’t like shopping by direct response. Not unexpectedly, Brooks Brothers got the highest grade in this outing, in part because Brooks offers free alterations at any of its retail stores.
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