Interesting Snippets

The U.K., for example, has become a nation of digital shopkeepers, but the Netherlands has not, even though the fixed-broadband infrastructure is much stronger there. The reason: the Dutch are light credit-card users. The Czech Republic has a relatively strong e-commerce market, reflecting the poor retail experience in its physical stores. Hong Kong, which also has a strong Internet infrastructure, has relatively weak business-to-consumer activity because traditional merchants in this densely populated ““shoppers’’ paradise”” have an easier time holding on to nearby customers. India’’s relatively small e-commerce market, on the other hand, is hampered by the nation’’s poor distribution network, but dating and online betting sites are highly popular. It is easier to make a payment using a mobile phone in Kenya than in Kansas. Kenya is unencumbered by the infrastructure, regulations, and inertia that hamper mobile payments in developed markets, and consumers are eager to access banking services.