“Competition From Internet Businesses” ranks 69th out of 75 problems, up from its 73rd ranking in 2004 when the problem was introduced into the survey. Only 5 percent of survey respondents regard the problem as critical. E-commerce now accounts for slightly less than 4 percent of all retail sales. Much of it is confined to a few sectors of the economy dominated by large firms including travel, booksellers, and financial institutions. But that does not mean the situation is permanent as the business owners on eBay may create just as much competition for traditional bricks and mortar small businesses as.
