For Further Research (Individual): One problem that traditional retailers face when they open online stores is cannibalization. Select a traditional retailer where you and your fellow students might normally shop that also sells products online. You might, for example, select Best Buy, Banana Republic, Gap, or Target. Visit the retailer’s online store and make notes on the site’s product offering, pricing, customer service policies, and so on. (If the store you have chosen offers many different product lines, you might wish to limit your research to one or two different product lines.) Then visit the store and compare what is offered there with the online offerings.

Develop a report that summarizes your findings and discusses the potential for cannibalization and its implications for the retailer.