Online shopping is really a fast growing way of e commerce. It involves buying from the seller online without the need of a 3rd party - the intermediary service. An eshop, e-store, web store etc. a few of the words used to describe web sites that sell products.
Even though their explanation has evolved in a very fast pace over the past couple of years, still has a long distance to go. Especially because internet remains not available through the entire developing world. Accessing internet isn't easy in lots of developing countries - and even where it can be, people prefer to use it for emails and general stuff.
Also, shopping on the web is still looked at with suspicion by a large group of the population. Most of the people would like to know exactly what these are buying. They want to hold it of their hands, or feel it or see how big it really is (just in case, say, of the teddy bear) if it can be a matter of clothes - people choose to wear and appearance and the size and observe it looks - all this is not possible online. Customers also love to haggle, try to make the vendor pull down the rates.
But i am not saying all is lost. A growing group pf people prefer shopping on the web to real life shopping. Those are often people who are hard pressed for time. It makes far more sense in their mind to click with a website and order flowers to get a forgotten anniversary at lunch break in the office than rush on the shops after work if it might be past too far. Youngsters too, like to see various options online - a great deal of which might not be available within their city. For example, online book stores are generally well-stocked than the best of libraries or book shops in the small cities. Such, among others are part of an ever-growing population of people who spend more time clicking away online then bag-hauling offline. Of course, people still won't buy groceries online, but shopping online has learnt to outpace its baby steps and it is fast striding towards a brighter future.