(Continued from page 6)

they put into a measuring project that doesn't lead to a sale.
• He says it's difficult to know the extent of the loss of business due to online sales, but he estimates it's 6 to 8 percent.
• "Some people want to get the cheapest price and nothing else makes any difference," he said. "I'm sure some realize they are hurting the community, but when it comes down to the pocketbook, it doesn't make any difference for a lot of people."
• While broadband Internet has been touted as a key for growth and economic development in rural communities, the experience of Schumaker and other rural retailers shows that online access doesn't benefit everyone equally. High-speed broadband access can mean that businesses have access to markets they wouldn't otherwise have--but it also means that consumers have easy access to many more shopping options, and local retailers can face stiff competition.
•
• A help to some, a harm to others
• The proportion of money that shoppers spend online is increasing nearly every year. According to Forrester Research, Inc., e-retail is estimated to make up 9 percent of total retail sales in 2016, up from 7 percent in 2012 and 2011 and from 5 percent five years ago. Since overall retail spending is basically flat, that means the increase in online shopping has come at the expense of brick-and-mortar retailers.
• Online shopping is likely affecting sales at Lee & Hanson, Inc., a men's clothing store in Britton that's been in business for 111 years.
• "I'm not sure how to gauge online sales, but I can assume it affects us due to the ease of it and everybody is busy working," said Roger Furman, who has been at the store for 42 years. "It's easy to go online when you're home at night."
• He has also noticed a significant change in buying behavior in those 42 years, and easy online shopping may have made that change even more noticeable.
• "The more money people have, the farther away they shop," Furman said. "When they have more money at their disposal they are looking for more variety, and it's hard for a small town store to keep up with styles, especially for kids. Companies also don't like to sell to us because we don't do enough volume."
• While the Internet has hurt some rural businesses, others have used the Internet to increase sales.
• Colleen Pfeifer and John Pfeifer, co-owners of VoWac Publishing in Faulkton, say online sales are an important part of their business. They get both calls and orders for their phonics texts and curriculum from their website.
• "It's the way the world is and how we communicate," said John Pfeifer. "Our logs have shown people who come to check us out online are from all over the world. It's

(Continued on page 8)