E-Commerce websites can be used in conjunction with printed product catalog or retail outlets, but also it's very well suited for wholesale businesses.  With ability to allow direct access to products only to logged in users. Using the latest Open Source CMS software there is also possibility of servicing wholesale and retail account on the same website.  In our industry this types of websites we often call "Hybrids".

Some percentage of electronic commerce is conducted entirely electronically for "virtual" items such as access to premium content on a website, music and move downlodable files, donations, etc. but most electronic commerce involves the shipping and transportation of physical items in some way.

Here you can see some E-Commerce based websites that we recently finished:

BajoToysUSA.com Retail Based and Factory Direct

KickinCards.com Retail Based

Fire-IceDesigns.com Wholesale Based (E-Commerce to logged in users only)

YouProof.com Service Based (Specific area of the website requires subscription)