18(a) Describe the mission/purpose of your proposed gTLD

Prototypical answer:

The purpose of the .STORE gTLD is to create a namespace for the growing ecommerce industry, and in particular for small and medium sized storefronts on the Internet. As vendors become comfortable with the idea of selling online, the demand for a specialized extension with good affordable names that denote ecommerce will grow.

U.S. ecommerce sales totaled $194.3 billion in 2011, up 16.1% from $167.3 billion in 2010, according to an estimate released today by the U.S. Commerce Department. (Source: http:⁄⁄www.internetretailer.com⁄2012⁄02⁄16⁄ecommercesales-jump-16-2011, accessed 3-29-2012). According to a projection released by Forrester Research Inc, online shoppers in the United States will spend $327 billion in 2016, up 45 percent from $226 billion this year and 62 percent from $202 billion in 2011. (Source: http:⁄⁄www.internetretailer.com⁄2012⁄02⁄27⁄eretail-spending-increase45-2016, accessed 3-28-2012). United States Ecommerce sales are expected to reach $278.9 billion in 2015. (Source: http:⁄⁄www.entrepreneur.com⁄article⁄222967 citing Forrester Research, accessed 3-29-2012). Moreover, total retail sales, including ecommerce sales, increased 7.0% in 2010 and totaled $3.92 trillion. (Source: http:⁄⁄www.internetretailer.com⁄2011⁄02⁄17⁄ecommercesales-rise148-2010, accessed 3-29-2012). In the US alone, ecommerce is expected to grow to 250 Billion in sales by 2014, growing at an 11% rate (source: http:⁄⁄techcrunch.com⁄2010⁄03⁄08⁄forrester-forecast-online-retail-sales-will-grow-to-250-billion-by-2014⁄). Similar trends are present in Western Europe which is expected to grow to 150 Billion by 2014.

It is estimated that today 11% of all retail sales occur online (source: Forrester Research). This is a steady growth from 1% in 2000, 3% in 2006 and so on. The recessions of 2000 and 2008 have had almost no effect on the growth of ecommerce.

The .STORE gTLD aims to serve this important and growing sector with an extension that clearly denotes the commercial intent of the second-level domains registered under it.

Similar gTLD applications: (0)