Shopping online has become so popular that it's almost mainstream now.  The convenience, huge variety of products, and great prices have all combined together and created a massive online global marketplace.

I've even gotten to the point where I don't make any major purchase without looking online first.  Free shipping is the key that has unlocked the potential of the online marketplace - I can buy software at about 30% less than my local software store, AND get it shipped to me for free - it's a no-brainer.

The safety of your credit card information is becoming less and less an issue.  Heck, you're at much more risk by handing your credit card over at a restaurant and watching it disappear into the "back room" to be processed.  The waiter could easily write down the numbers and expiration date - even the "safety code" that is now required at the majority of online sites - and you wouldn't have a clue - until you got the bill.

I'm so convinced that online shopping is the wave of the future that I've built my own shopping portal.  I bought the domain name on ebay, and had the site up and running fairly quickly - I even buy things through my own site! 

Now, if I could only get my wife to buy through my site instead of Amazon - I would really be happy!