Electronic commerce on the rise, despite privacy concerns

Debt collection agencies may want to turn their attention toward e-commerce, as online sales appear to be on the upswing. The U.S. Commerce Department found that the e-commerce market increased to $57 billion in the third quarter of 2012, marking a 17.3 percent year-over-year growth. "Retailers need to create a seamless, multi-channel experience that blends the digital and physical, and delivers convenience, price and relevance," said Baiju Shah, managing director of strategy and innovation for Accenture Interactive. While companies move to implement electronic payment methods, they may also want to ramp up their fraud prevention strategies. A recent survey by Accenture Interactive and Coleman Parkes revealed that 86 percent of respondents were concerned about having their internet purchases tracked, according to Supply & Demand Chain Executive. In addition, nearly 90 percent of online shoppers want more control over the availability of their personal information, and 36 percent of respondents said they don't want companies to track their shopping history at all. At the same time, these concerns aren't holding people back from using the internet to make purchases. Eighty-five percent of respondents said they understood why stores tracked their history, and 49 percent wanted them to use it to offer deals in the future.