It’s time to look at the big picture for e-commerce, not just the profitability of e-business divisions.

This editorial called “The Bottom Line on E-Commerce” in Interactive Week makes two good points about Bricks and Clicks e-commerce.

1. E-Commerce is starting to become profitable for those doing it right. Examples include 1–800-Flowers.com, Ameritrade, eBay, Expedia, Homestore.com, Monster.com, Northwest Airlines, Office Depot, Priceline.com, Register.com, Travelocity.com and United Parcel Service.

2. Profits from online ventures may not be the best way of looking at online success for Brick and Click retailers since e-commerce also has positive and in many cases measurable impact on offline sales and service costs.