The Expansion of E-Commerce: More Industries Enter the E-Commerce Marketplace

An increasing number of companies in industries which have typically relied upon face-to-face meetings, and other traditional means of communication, to conduct business are now entering the e-commerce marketplace.  Anyone following recent news about this expansion (see The Expansion of E-Commerce:  Online Medical Monitoring) should not be surprised to learn that the Internet is changing the way that motor vehicle salvage yards are buying and selling wrecked automobiles.

In the past, salvage yard owners purchased wrecked motor vehicles at auction, where they inspected the vehicles and then bid on them, in person, against other people present at the auction site.  Now, the auction sites are being replaced with websites, as salvage vehicles are auctioned on the Internet, with bidders from across the globe.

As an increasing number of traditional “brick and mortar” businesses begin transacting business online, it becomes apparent that that the vast majority of industries have, or will have, an online presence.  The view of what constitutes an "e-commerce business" must be expanded as most businesses are engaged in some sort of e-commerce – marketing, selling, purchasing, or providing services online.

For more information on how the Internet is changing the motor vehicle salvage business, see Internet Spawns a Demolition Derby with a Wrinkle on washingtonpost.com.

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