For all of the conveniences of online shopping — no crowds, easy parking, seemingly endless choices — it can’t always compete with the real thing. At least not yet.
A Kansas State University marketing professor said consumers can expect that some of the disadvantages of online shopping will disappear as retailers adapt models from Second Life.

Esther Swilley is a K-State assistant professor of marketing who studies e-commerce and mobile marketing trends. Her research has included exploring the role of trust in choosing which Web sites to shop, seeing what types of …