Martin, C. A., Gillenson, M. L., Bush, R. P., and Sherrell, D. L. 2004. "Retail store layout characteristics as a mechanism for enhancing customer relationships in a retail web site environment," International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising (1:4), pp. 413-430.

As retailers move into the realm of designing website environments, three critical elements of commerce, content and community must be addressed in order to build and facilitate customer relationships. Yet, as often happens with the internet, the enthusiasm generated by future technology overshadows reality. Many retailers have not yet achieved the basics of customer retention, loyalty, and intimacy in the online world as they have in the brick and mortar setting. In this paper, the authors explore the use of established and successful store layout and design characteristics as applied to a retailer's website environment. The utilization of these characteristics in terms of building stronger customer relationships through the elements of commerce, content, and community in a web page environment is addressed.