The limits of e-commerce. Not everything can be sold through a web-site, at least not well. This item is from a New York Times story on the oriental rugs business which is in the middle of a big downturn:

Many rug wholesalers operate in the style of an old-fashioned Mideastern carpet business, where prices are flexible. "Stack your rugs to the roof and let the customer choose," said Leslie Stroh, the editor of Rug News. At one showroom last week, a wholesaler sat alone amid carpets piled to the ceiling, with a humming tea kettle waiting to be pressed into service.

The Internet has modernized some aspects of the carpet business, especially among customers who like to use it for research. But selling expensive rugs is still largely an in-store experience.

"We make very few sales over $2,000 on the Web," said Mr. Head of ABC, which sends digital images of rugs by e-mail to customers who like to get an idea of the selection.