Will the Rising Price of Gas Accelerate The Move To The Web?

For some time now mass media companies and retailers have been moving parts of their businesses to the web. I’m wondering if we’ll see this move accelerate as the price of gas continues to spiral upwards, with no apparent end in sight? I noticed two announcements on The Inquistior from two different business sectors in today’s feeds that lead me to think that smart businesses will be doing so.

• Borders Books is returning to web retailing with a new website “designed to evoke the feeling of browsing at a neighborhood bookstore.”
• The New York Times is moving towards a reader-programmed version of its online edition with an API that lets readers mash-up the data to their liking.

While neither annoucement mentions rising gas prices, which can have an affect the price of everything from materials to delivery. I’m guessing these companies have their eyes on the indicators. It seems a natural course of action for a business that can deliver their services via the Internet. I also think we’ll see more and more users looking to go this way to save on their own costs. I even heard speculaton over the weekend that we’ll soon see the end of free shipping offers.

What say you, GBM Readers? Are you changing some of your routines due to the increasing costs of travel?