We’re in the thick of the holiday shopping season, and this year shoppers are spending in record numbers. But more and more that shopping is happening online, meaning that for many the holiday shopping frenzy is less elbowing through crowds at the mall and more refreshing browser pages on the desktop. 

On this edition of KCBS In Depth we dig into what this past week of record breaking online sales numbers means for the holiday season: First, when the whole world moves online, who gets left behind? We discuss how retail is struggling with and adapting to the new online reality. 

Then, amidst all this holiday shopping, online scammers are out in force too. We’ll take a look at how can you keep your digital purchases safe.

Guests: 

• Bill Pearce, assistant dean and chief marketing officer for UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business
• Maryo Mogannam, president of the San Francisco Council of District Merchants Associations, which advocates for local small businesses including retailers 
• Professor Ahmed Banafa, a cybersecurity expert at San Jose State University

Host: KCBS Radio reporter Keith Menconi