Why it Took So Long for Many Retailers to Embrace E-Commerce

When TJX Cos., parent of TJ Maxx, Marshalls and Home Goods, announced it would acquire off-price internet retailer Sierra Trading Post for $200 million, it was more than a smart buy. The purchase signified something much bigger: The company was finally taking e-commerce seriously. CEO Carol Meyrowitz declared to investors the company would use Sierra Trading Post's web savvy and infrastructure to build out its own e-commerce sites.