Tired of pounding the tiles in search of the perfect Valentine's gift? Virtual Emporium has the answer: visitors to its Santa Monica, California, virtual mall can select from more than 2 million products by browsing at one of 30 PCs (the store mirrors its Web site at www.vemporium.com/). In-store specialists cheerfully help newbies, whose consumerism is enhanced by T1 lines and SSL purchase encryption. From Speigel to L'eggs and BMW, VE's retailers run the gamut. "We've combined retail and technology in a way that demystifies the Internet and gives customers a sneak preview of what shopping might look like in three to five years," gushes Tuck Rickards, VE's founder and CEO. "We're going to change the way people shop." Pardon me ... but where's your virtual rest room?
ELECTRIC WORD
May I Help You ... Get Online?
