Electronic commerce is the buying and selling of goods and services over an electronic network.Think of electronic commerce, or e-commerce, as today’s version of mail order purchasing through a catalog. There are e-commerce companies operating in each market segment – business to business, business to consumer, consumer to consumer and consumer to business. Some companies conduct business exclusively through e-commerce sites, while others create an online presence to complement their physical locations. Target now runs an online store where customers can order items it also sells at its brick-and-mortar stores. Most products and services can be purchased online today, and the number of people who buy things online is growing. E-commerce is a faster way to conduct business transactions. It’s easier to find products, and online shopping is usually open 24 hours a day, everyday. It lets businesses expand to geographic markets that they otherwise couldn’t reach, and its operational costs are usually low. On the other hand, e-commerce sites aren’t always efficient. Glitches can happen, and hackers occasionally use them to access personal information. Customer service is limited, and customers have to wait for their purchases to arrive. Shopping online tends to limit the personal experience retailers create to sell products and retain customers, as well.