Perceived Threats and Opportunities: A Preliminary Model of the Book Retailer Internet Presence Decision

Abstract

During the tremendous evolution of Internet technologies and the emergence of firms such as Amazon.com, large and small book retailers have struggled with the decision of when and how to adopt an Internet presence-some would still argue if they should adopt. The book retailing industry's dilemmas epitomize much of the retailing business in that it is composed of large and small players of varying experience and resources. This article draws on the literature, media articles, and preliminary interview examples from book retailing to present a conceptual model of Internet adoption based on perceived threats and opportunities in 5 categories. These 5 areas of potential threat or opportunity include perceptions about firm characteristics, Web retailing experience, the competitive environment, internal resources, and external resources. We propose that the combination of these perceptions influence very specifically the choice to adopt an Internet presence and the strategy of the site. In particular, we propose that experience and resources will moderate the nature of Internet adoption. The balance of our article explores the rationale for this argument.