Wickham's musings from Chalke

 
There really isn’t any need for shops at all for some things.

Buying online for a camera for instance means that I can open several windows in my computer browser, as follows:-
- one has a review of the camera performance
- another has a list of best prices from various online traders
- the next one or more windows have the eBay auction site open if there is more than one being sold so that the bids can be monitored
- another window can show the eBay screen for a “buy it now” camera without bidding
- another window can be open for an online trader’s website if I want to purchase it direct rather than through eBay (eBay traders usually require payment via eBay’s company PayPal. If you are in a hurry and want next-day delivery PayPal may not be the best option because some traders state that PayPal purchases require three days to clear).

It means that one can switch between the screens comparing prices and specifications without the hassle of getting in a car, travelling to town, paying for parking and then hurrying between shops asking questions to shop assistants who know little about their products.