Looks like disintermediation is finally reaching all the way up to big box stores: Procter&Gamble is now selling direct. From the FT:

The move brings P&G into direct brand competition with its retailers, underlining the extent to which e-commerce is contributing to changes in the way the two sides have traditionally worked with each other.

THis sort of thing gets the attention of even the biggest retailers:

In another indication of the flux, Wal-Mart, P&G’s largest customer, is hiring a strategy executive whose tasks include assessing the potential effect of direct-to-consumer sales by its own suppliers.

My wife has been buying more stuff online of late, even though she likes to shop - her knees have been giving her some grief, so it's just easier. For a lot of us, shopping is just a hassle though, and being able to get a recognizable brand to show up at the door at a reasonable price could take a big bite out of places like Wal-Mart.

Bear in mind that browsing the shelves used to be a big part of the shopping experience for music, and online sales has just killed that. There's not nearly the allure to browsing the detergent aisle :)

Hat Tip Patrick Logan

Technorati Tags: online sales