Stop by a neighborhood liquor shop a few months from now and chances are it will offer TVs, refrigerators and thousands of other items for either home delivery or later on-the-spot pickup.
The Shop System Study Society, a quasi-governmental organization serving the retail industry, said it will turn this idea into reality in April, when it opens an online marketplace networking small retail shops and a range of suppliers.
At a time when electronic commerce has become part of everyday life, it may not strike a chord among PC-savvy consumers.