{"id":20187,"date":"2026-04-29T09:49:19","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T09:49:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.looperbuy.com\/?p=20187"},"modified":"2026-04-29T09:50:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T09:50:07","slug":"when-did-internet-shopping-start%ef%bc%9f-a-b2b-sourcing-experts-guide-to-how-e-commerce-evolved-and-why-looperbuy-is-your-one-stop-gateway-to-global-china-sourcing-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.looperbuy.com\/blog\/when-did-internet-shopping-start%ef%bc%9f-a-b2b-sourcing-experts-guide-to-how-e-commerce-evolved-and-why-looperbuy-is-your-one-stop-gateway-to-global-china-sourcing-in-2026.html","title":{"rendered":"When Did Internet Shopping Start\uff1f A B2B Sourcing Expert\u2019s Guide to How E-Commerce Evolved and Why LooperBuy Is Your One\u2011Stop Gateway to Global China Sourcing in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When did internet shopping start\uff1f It\u2019s a question that takes us back to August 11\uff0c 1994 \u2014 the date widely recognized as the birth of secure online commerce\u3002 On that day\uff0c Dan Kohn<\/strong>\uff0c a 21\u2011year\u2011old entrepreneur from New Hampshire\uff0c sold a **Sting CD\uff0c **\u201cTen Summoner\u2018s Tales\uff0c<\/strong>\u201d to a friend in Philadelphia via his website NetMarket<\/strong>\u3002 That $12.48 transaction isn\u2019t just a trivia footnote \u2014 it was the first ever secure retail purchase made over the public internet<\/strong>\uff0c unlocking a digital economy that would eventually reshape global trade\u3002<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three decades later\uff0c the online shopping landscape has grown far beyond B2C retail\u3002 Today\uff0c the true heavy lifter of the digital economy is B2B e\u2011commerce<\/strong> \u2014 projected to reach $36 trillion globally by 2026<\/strong>\uff0c according to the International Trade Administration\u3002 And at the heart of this multi\u2011trillion\u2011dollar ecosystem lies a single manufacturing powerhouse\uff1a China<\/strong>\u3002<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"when<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As a B2B sourcing and logistics strategist with over 15 years of experience<\/strong> advising international brand owners\uff0c wholesalers\uff0c and manufacturers\uff0c I\u2018ve witnessed firsthand how cross\u2011border procurement has evolved from fragmented\uff0c high\u2011risk transactions into a data\u2011driven\uff0c streamlined process\u3002 Yet many B2B buyers still struggle with the same fundamental challenges that existed in the pre\u2011internet era \u2014 unvetted suppliers\uff0c hidden logistics costs\uff0c and unreliable shipping times\u3002<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is where LooperBuy<\/strong> comes in\u3002 As a One\u2011Stop B2B Sourcing Platform<\/strong>\uff0c LooperBuy connects global buyers directly with vetted Chinese suppliers\uff0c offers an unmatched range of products\uff0c and delivers seamless global logistics at competitive prices\u3002 In this guide \u2014 grounded in Google\u2019s E\u2011E\u2011A\u2011T standards<\/strong>\uff08Experience\uff0c Expertise\uff0c Authoritativeness\uff0c Trustworthiness\uff09 \u2014 I\u2018ll show you when did internet shopping start<\/em><\/strong> and how the evolution of e\u2011commerce has paved the way for a smarter\uff0c faster\uff0c and more profitable way to source from China in 2026\u3002<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suggested Image\uff1a A horizontal timeline infographic showing the evolution of e\u2011commerce from 1994 \uff08first online purchase\uff0c Sting CD on NetMarket\uff09 to 2026\uff0c with key milestones \uff08Amazon 1995\uff0c Alibaba 1999\uff0c and today\u2019s $36T B2B market\uff09\u3002<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

Table of Contents<\/p>\n<\/span><\/div>\n