europeforvisitors - 11:13 pm on Jan 24, 2006 (gmt 0)

The "horse and buggy" vs. "Model T" comparison isn't very apt. E-commerce sites won't replace brick-and-mortar stores any more than mail-order catalogs replaced brick-and-mortar stores. There may be shifts in market share, but brick-and-mortar stores aren't likely to disappear in our lifetimes (if ever).