LOCAL FIRMS TEST WATERS OF E-COMMERCE ON THE INTERNET

Businesses increasingly are finding it pays to set up shop on the Internet. Consumers see it as a convenient and economical way to buy products.

The World Wide Web has transformed the geography of business, putting firms large and small on the same computerized playing field.

With a few clicks of a mouse, consumers can access goods and services across the country, including those offered by businesses in Cape Girardeau.

"We are 100 percent behind e-commerce," said John Mehner, Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce president.

Mehner compares the Internet to computers and fax machines. Once rare, they are indispensable in today's business world.

Mehner said local businesses benefit from selling their products online.

"We realize there is a segment of the population now that likes to buy on the Internet," he said.

Through the Internet, local businesses can reach a wider market and consumers can shop from the convenience of home, he said.

That doesn't mean that brick-and-mortar businesses will disappear. Business experts say there will always be customers who want to see and handle the product before they buy it.

Shivelbine's Music Store in Cape Girardeau sells instruments online as well as in its Broadway store.

Still some customers won't shop online.

"There are people who never buy an instrument unless they play it first," said Rich Comeau, president of Digital Labs in rural Cape Girardeau.

Comeau's firm makes pro-audio equipment and operates a digital recording studio.

A computer expert, Comeau operates his business out of his home. "I walk from the bedroom to the office," he said. "That is because I do business on the Internet."

Some of Comeau's equipment is used in Microsoft's Bill Gates' high-tech home.

"His house is a living computer," said Comeau.

Comeau said businesses are making greater and greater use of the Internet.

"Smart businesses use the Internet to enhance their revenue," he said.

For customers, it's a matter of convenience. "You can shop at 10:30 at night in your underwear at home," said Comeau.

The opportunities for business seem endless. A company recently announced plans to sell automobiles nationwide through an Internet site.

The online sales market is expected to grow to more than $100 billion by 2003, but that still would be only a small part of the $3 trillion-plus retail sales expected that year, business experts say.

Comeau said the Internet won't end the need for traditional stores.

People want products and services instantly, and they often don't want to wait for a product to be delivered, he said.

But Comeau said the Internet provides another avenue to reach customers.

Comeau said he made a sale in Switzerland solely because his products can be purchased online.

"It's not like I advertise in Switzerland," he said.

Schnucks sells groceries online.

"It is going well," said store manager Dennis Marchi. "It is growing almost every month."

For homebound residents and busy, working couples, online ordering is convenient. The groceries are then delivered to the customer's home for an added $10 charge.

Wes Kinsey, owner of My Daddy's' Cheesecake in Cape Girardeau, began selling his treats online three years ago.

"In the beginning it was real slow," said Kinsey, who questioned if it was worth the investment.

But sales have picked up. Last Christmas, his downtown store did four times as much business on the Internet as it previously had. My Daddy's Cheesecake received several hundred orders online through its Web page.

"I think probably half of the people that use the site are probably first timers," said Kinsey.

One Pennsylvania manufacturer ordered almost 200 cheesecakes online. The company makes lightbulbs.

"They found us just by surfing the Web," said Kinsey.

The Internet has helped expand his business. Even local residents are ordering cheesecakes online.

Said Kinsey, "We are basically never closed for business on the Web."