Online Shopping: Stores

Originally called "AuctionWeb," eBay proved that the internet could also be a peer-to-peer marketplace.

Jack Ma launched Alibaba in China, eventually creating a global B2B and B2C powerhouse. The Golden Age: Convenience and Selection (2000s–2010s) ONLINE SHOPPING STORES

The world’s first "online" shopper was , a 72-year-old grandmother in 1984. Using Aldrich's system and her TV remote, she placed a grocery order with Tesco . While she didn't know it then, she was using the first-ever "online shopping basket," a concept we now take for granted. The Foundation: Security and the Big Three (1990s) Using Aldrich's system and her TV remote, she

In the mid-90s, the introduction of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption made it safe to send credit card details over the web. Online shopping as we know it today required

Online shopping as we know it today required two things: the World Wide Web and trust.

The journey didn't start with the internet, but with a modified domestic television. In 1979, British inventor pioneered the concept by connecting a TV to a real-time transaction processing computer via a telephone line.

The story of online shopping is a remarkable journey from a humble TV remote experiment to a multi-trillion-dollar global industry that defines modern life. It’s a tale of visionary inventors, bold startups, and a fundamental shift in how humans interact with the world of commerce. The Spark: A TV Remote and a Grandparent (1979–1984)