Which is the Oldest E-Commerce Company in the World?

The world around us is constantly changing in every aspect be it payments, food and even shopping. There are many companies that have started selling services and products online and shopping through a few clicks has become the new normal. People can easily order electronics, books, clothes, and many other items instantly at the comfort of their homes.

However, the concept of electronic commerce or the famous “e-commerce” did not start with modern online shopping giants. It has been in existence long before today’s popular websites. There were a few early innovators that experimented with the idea of buying and selling products using computers.

It was the early 1980s when personal computers as well as the internet was quite new and not widely available when some entrepreneurs began exploring ways through which they can connect buyers and sellers through digital systems.

Today we will be exploring an important question: Which is the oldest e-commerce company in the world? Further, we will discuss its history and the importance of this company. 

Which Is the Oldest E-Commerce Company in the World?

The oldest e-commerce company in the world is the Boston Computer Exchange. This company was founded in 1982 in the United States which served as a marketplace where people could buy and sell used computers. This company was created by Alexander Randall and Cameron Hall.

The Library of Congress mentions: “Widely considered the first e-commerce company, the Boston Computer Exchange was founded in 1982 as a used computer marketplace.”

During that time, the personal computers were gaining the buzz and people were trying to find a place where they could easily trade or sell their machines. 

That is where the Boston Computer Exchange created a system where sellers could list their computers and buyers got the ability to search for them through an online database.

How Did Boston Computer Exchange Work?

During the early 1980s, the internet was not available for the public. That is why, the Boston Computer Exchange used a different technology which was known as a bulletin board system (BBS).

Under this system, sellers were able to upload information about their computers into a digital database. From this database, buyers were able browse the listings online and choose the products they wanted.

After selecting a product, buyers made a contact to the seller by telephone to complete the purchase. The seller would then ship the computer to the buyer, and the exchange would charge a commission for the transaction.

The Pivotal Digital mentions: “BoCoEx could post its database on a public access system using this Delphi bulletin board. It was also posted on several searchable databases, including YellowData and Boston CitiNet. Later, they also had the first store on the Electronic Mall, which was opened by CompuServe in 1989.”

“The e-commerce store was similar to later online retailers like eBay or Etsy. Sellers uploaded their inventory, which buyers could browse. Since this was still pre-internet, buyers would order via telephone and pay the sellers,” it adds.

How Did Modern E-Commerce Grow After Boston Computer Exchange?

There was a restriction on the internet for being used commercially which was lifted in 1991. Since then the internet has become a platform for commerce. 

As the internet evolved, the consumer shopping experience saw a significant change. The World Wide Web came into existence which resulted in Book Stacks Unlimited being the first e-commerce that was created by Charles M Stack in 1992. 

The Pivotal Digital mentions: “With the rise of the Internet, the consumer shopping experience changed quickly. One of the earliest e-commerce stores to use the World Wide Web was Book Stacks Unlimited, a bookshop created by Charles M Stack in 1992.”

This company started like BoCoEx as a dial up bulletin and later it moved as Books.com which was acquired by Barnes and Noble. 

After this, there were many new companies that came into existence and they started with their online stores. Here are some of the major examples: 

• Amazon came into existence in the year 1994. It was initially a bookstore. 

• Later in the year 1995, eBay came into existence. 

To conclude, the Boston Computer Exchange is considered as the oldest e-commerce company in the world. This company built a foundation of digital marketplaces. 

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