pageoneresults - 12:57 pm on Apr 7, 2008 (gmt 0)

Do some of these companies actually use canned solutions like Miva or Yahoo and do a serious amount of customizing?

I don't think so.

Or do they start completely from scratch?

I do believe most start off from scratch and then it grows from there.

And how much do you think these large stores spend on development? Any idea on what the range is that they are spending?

How do you put a price tag on that? I mean, these types of stores are ongoing. There is no build and leave it solution that I'm aware of. So, you may have had an initial $100k outlay. But, from the day that site launches, there will be daily ongoing maintenance, upgrades, etc.

Price is all relative and there really is no "apples to apples" comparison in this space. If you are planning on building a site of this size, expect to have a large sum of money set aside for that development and then the ongoing maintenance.