Retail in the Digital City

Conventional high street retailers face a multitude of challenges if they are to survive and thrive. Some of these difficulties arise from structural and economic issues; others may be sociological and demographic. However, to thrive, retailers must be perceived as being competitive, and must adopt innovative and invigorating strategies to maximise the potential of their situations while offsetting the limitations. In this paper, it is proposed that a judicious combination of low-cost Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) could enable small retailers harness the benefits  of  the  information society and provide services congruent with the digital city concept. As an illustration of the issues involved, pertinent results from a systematic end-user evaluation of Easishop are discussed.