How has ecommerce developed over time?

Because of the digital and technological innovations for the last 10 years, ecommerce has been changed and is still changing fundamentally.

The fundamental of ecommerce is a website, app or online platform, where products or services are delivered to customers.

Traditionally you see brick stores or non-ecommerce companies who started the ecommerce transformation. Other companies like bol.com, Wehkamp or Coolblue, also called pure online players, started directly with their ecommerce strategy. Coolblue for example, started with ecommerce as a pure online player and opened several physical stores after that and then made their way to a multi, cross and omnichannel transformation.

In short there have been three phases of development in e-commerce strategy over time:

1. Multi channel
2. Cross channel
3. Omni channel

Credit: Ecommerce Wiki