ABSTRACT
For store-based retailers, the rapid growth of information gathering and shopping on the Internet has become a major challenge. It has radically changed the entire value chain from the manufacturer to the end consumer, and it has facilitated the compression of spatial distances, time and knowledge (Carnoy and Castells 2001). During the 1990s, retailers began using the web to communicate with customers, business partners, and investors. New forms of networks and connections contributed to the emergence of e-commerce and access to information, services and products. It enabled and accelerated mediation between suppliers and customers, and contributed to the development of more personal relationships between the brand and consumer. In this, the digital revolution fundamentally changed the balance of power between producers to consumers, empowering consumers through access to knowledge, services and products.
