Online-shopping and changings in mobility

Abstract

Specific information on the relations between current and forecast online shopping developments and changes in commercial and private mobility structures is scarce. A number of assumptions exist, however, most of which are not backed by sufficient empirical data. After explicating the considerations underlying the substitution thesis, the complementarity thesis and the induction thesis, this article investigates, based on various fields of online shopping application, wether and in what form these theses can actually be relevant. The fields of application include (industrial) direct marketing, the mailorder selling (in its various expressions), and the food/non-food retail trade. The (scant) empirical findings available are moreover reconciled with the three theses. Finally, the effects that could arise for logistic services are investigated, particularly with a view to new structures and new service offers.