This book presents developments and future trends in e-commerce, shaped by new digital communication and consumer patterns. Gerrit Heinemann highlights e-commerce business models, channel excellence, and success factors such as digital time advantages and customer centricity. He analyzes the digital challenges and outlines the consequences and opportunities associated with online retail. Recognized best practices illustrate how successful digital commerce works and what the "lessons learned" from recent years are. The 16th edition discusses the issue of increasing cost pressure for online retailers in light of declining revenues and growing competition from Asian platforms. Additionally, special attention is given to the topics of retail media, AI, and community building. For this new edition, all chapters have been revised and new best-practice examples integrated. The content includes: meta-targeting and business ideas in online retail, online retail business models, forms of online retail, business systems and benchmarks in e-commerce, best practices, and risks in online retail. The author: Prof. Dr. Gerrit Heinemann is a professor of business administration, management, and trade, as well as the founder and director of the eWeb Research Center at Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences.