Manufacturer Sites that Sell
http://www.asktog.com/columns/073ManufSites.html

Tognazzini, Bruce
Nielsen Norman Group
2007

Abstract:

The job of a retail site is to attract the consumer, sell the product, and deliver it. In the case of a manufacturer site, the only difference when encountering a retail customer is that, instead of delivering the product, the site may deliver the customer—to an authorized retailer.