Since the advent of the Internet, electronic commerce has become an integral partof everyday life in most parts of the world. In 2009 private consumers in Germanypurchased goods and services worth 15.5bn EUR via e-commerce market places onthe Internet, an increase of 14.4% over the year before....

The long tail phenomenon has been heavily discussed in recentyears. What has been neglected so far is its striking relevance forelectronic services. Whereas consumers expectations about informationgoods are often vague and transient, their requirements are pronouncedand specific when it comes to...