IT AND RETAILING E-commerce is the buying and selling of products and services by both businesses and consumers over the Internet. Such practices have exploded over the last year as security has improved with more and more consumers now buying goods and services online. This coupled with the computer revolution of the late twentieth century has lead to e-commerce now becoming the buzzword of trade and industry as hundreds of companies are now moving online in an attempt to broaden their product range and direct contact with customers. Why has it grown so rapidly? Firstly we must understand why co