Impact of Big Data on Online ShoppingBig Data is the term for massive data sets that require computer processing to uncover tiny bits of data that would otherwise would have gone unnoticed. As computing power increases, these data points are used for many purposes, and retail is one of them. Macy (2013) notes that the use of Big Data has been driven by retailers seeking to improve their “journey to purchase” methods. Online retailers in particular are looking to develop their websites in a way that encourages the most purchases, which requires the use of Big Data. For the buyer this is also an advantage. Hockenson (2013) asserts that website improvements resulting from Big Data improve the online shopping experience. Websites that are expert in the use of Big Data are able to provide users with the deals and offers they are most likely to be looking for. This is good for the site, but it also solves one of the biggest problems consumers have. Consumers sometimes have difficulty finding what they need online. Amazon stocks far more items than any physical store. Big Data is therefore essential to help users navigate such massive inventory and do it faster than most consumers in a store. One example of the impact of Big Data shopping – and online shopping in particular – comes in the form of plans that companies are making for the upcoming holiday season. For retailers, the holiday season is the busiest of the year, and they've used big data to prepare for it, using data they've collected in previous years to learn more about the how their consumers make their purchasing decisions. By providing consumers with relevant experiences, retailers hope to sell more. A good example is...... middle of paper ...... an impersonal online shopping experience will become personal, and this will convince more people to shop online for more things. When offline retailers master Big Data techniques, they too will begin to adapt. We can imagine a point where there would be a junction between the online and offline worlds, since most of us are constantly connected via our mobile devices, even when we are in shopping malls. Works Cited Macy, B. (2013). How we buy: The Internet of Things, big data, social and mobile networks are changing everything. HuffingtonPost. Retrieved November 13, 2013 from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/beverly-macy/retail-30-internet-of-thi_b_4210230.htmlHockenson, L. (2013). How Big Data makes online shopping less painful. Gigaom. Retrieved November 13, 2013 from http://gigaom.com/2013/11/06/how-big-data-makes-shopping-online-suck-less/