E-Commerce, its impact on Jobs
The rising popularity of the Internet as a means of purchasing articles, services and new technologies may have a long term impact on the some retail outlets. E-Commerce will cause large national retailers and manufacturers to reevaluate the role of the traditional store and replace them with on line purchasing web sites.
As the general population becomes more comfortable with on line shopping, through web TV and the price of home PCs continue to drop, on line purchases will increase. Eighteen months ago a desktop PC could be had for $1000 (US), now Micro Center an Ohio based computer chain store sells their store brand PCs for $399 (US) as does PrecisionTec LLC of California. The prices don't include computer monitors, which usually start at about $150 (US). Analysts at ZD Market Intelligence suggest low prices will spark a surge of PC-buying among households with incomes of less than $30,000. Home PC penetration should reach close to 50% of U.S. households by the end of the year. (AP 21 Aug. 98).
This trend, of direct on line selling to a consumer, is most common among computer manufacturers and software vendors. As Internet commerce becomes common place more traditional retail vendors will utilize the Internet as a sales source. Eventually that will place less emphasis on the physical store fronts and more emphasis on centralized "electronic warehouses" or catalogues. The cost of the sale is considerably reduced by elimination of many "middle men" who eventually provide the goods and service to the consumer. Home delivery will be provided by various "parcel post" methods.
Jobs will be loss in traditional retail outlets to be replaced by"new" careers in preparation and design of web sites (stores) that are accessible world wide. The more valuable skills will be persons who are able to design and maintain electronic inventory, customer data bases, and web based E-commerce programs. As the Internet Market grows there will be a great demand for multilingual persons who can provide real time translations of web sites, web material preparation and are able to comfortably converse with peoples from many language groups.
As the international Internet commerce grows a second level of low paid positions will evolve (i.e. those people who package, prepare and ship the salable goods or service to the Internet Customer). Wild speculation… perhaps… but I would be encouraging my children to become proficient in computer language skills and/or design or to develop linguistic skills in many languages ( esp European or Asian language groups)
For those persons who are contemplating international markets remember that many foreign telephone exchanges are neither cheap nor as sophisticated as the system in North America. Many Europeans pay for their phone service by the minute. In Asia, phone service is very expensive particularly when you tie up phone lines for long periods of time.