Your local corner shop is growing - and will soon have three billion customers

Little neighborhood stores don't always think of themselves as the B that sells 2C - but can they sell? You bet; and in 20 years, the sales counter will reach around the globe. Some 75% of experts say that in the future, more than three billion people worldwide will do business exclusively online.

But how about remembering billions of faces, and favorite brands of coffee? That'll be tough, even for the neighborhood store. Personal characteristics, preferences, dislikes-you'll just have to write them down, and send in your shopping list. In the twinkling of an eye, the goods will be there. It's service like in the good old days. Just don't expect an extra piece of candy for the kids.

Thesis 52: More than 3 billion people in the world run their businesses completely and more effectively than ever via the Internet, making use of the World Wide Web's marketing power; 50% of B2C transactions are carried out online.

"Three-fourths of the participants regard it at least as possible that businesses will be completely run via the Internet and that the www will become an increasingly more important market space. Such a development would have far-reaching consequences for logistics providers, as they would have to ensure that Web-traded goods are delivered to the consumers.

As the www's real-time experience might also alter consumers' mind-sets, consumers will most likely expect that logistics providers offer their services in an Internet-specific manner: quickly, conveniently, and transparently. As "Internet of Things" applications offer just these transparent logistics processes, professionals envisage them to gain significance (Thesis 50).

The increased demand for flexibility is further underlined by professionals expecting the development of new strategies to meet the growing flexibility in international logistics (see Thesis 40). Further interdependencies with Theses 14, 37, 46, 53, 55, 56, 58, 60."

All theses can be found in the study to download.