Interactive shopping won’t revolutionize retailing overnight. It will probably take hold first in niches such as recorded music and software, which can be delivered via digital transmission, and personal computers, which often sell through direct marketing. Anything that is merchandized by TV or catalogue today could be sold interactively tomorrow.
Predictor: Sherman, Stratford
Prediction, in context:The 1995 book “The Information Revolution,” edited by Donald Altschiller, carries a reprint of the April, 1994, Fortune Magazine article “Will the Information Superhighway be the Death of Retailing” by Stratford Sherman. Sherman examines the mixed effects of the online revolution on the retail industry. He writes: ”Interactive shopping won’t revolutionize retailing overnight. It will probably take hold first in niches such as recorded music and software, which can be delivered via digital transmission, and personal computers, which often sell through direct marketing. Anything that is merchandized by TV or catalogue today could be sold interactively tomorrow.”
Date of prediction: January 1, 1994
Topic of prediction: Economic structures
Subtopic: Shopping
Name of publication: The Information Revolution (book)
Title, headline, chapter name: Will the Information Superhighway be the Death of Retailing?
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
Pages 81, 82
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Guarino, Jennifer Anne