Cyber Monday Retailers Worried Americans Not Ready To Buy Goods Over World Wide Web

NEW YORK—Expressing skepticism about the unproven technology’s potential in the lead-up to the holiday season, Cyber Monday retailers reportedly worried this week that Americans were simply not ready to buy goods over the World Wide Web. “While there may be a few fringe dedicated Netizens interested in online holiday shopping, we’re not sure the average joe has the understanding or, frankly, interest needed to purchase goods in cyberspace,” said Best Buy vice president Scott Evans, echoing thousands of web retailers who noted that Americans have always enjoyed the atmosphere and experience of brick-and-mortar stores, and the rise of the information superhighway did not seem poised to change that. “I’ll admit I’m a bit in the dark on how it even works. People type ‘http://www.bestbuy.com’ into their web browser, sure, but what happens after that? Do they just send us a check in the mail? Plus, after they buy their item, who drives it to their house? Me? Our IT guy showed the whole thing to me, and it just went way over my head. So I can’t imagine how the average consumer feels. Computers are great for playing solitaire, but I think using them to buy goods is just more of a headache than it’s worth for most Americans.” Evans added that all of this was obviously purely hypothetical, given that the company only expected to get a few dozen online shoppers during the holidays.