A New Tool to Build a Mobile Storefront This mobile storefront solution ushers small-business owners into the growing world of 'm-commerce.'

Moving Product: Carolina Rustica's Richard Sexton. Photo © David Lang

Carolina Rustica is no stranger to virtual commerce. The Concord, N.C.-based retailer specializing in handcrafted iron and wood furniture went online in 2000. Between 85 percent and 90 percent of current sales originate via the web, says founder and president Richard Sexton, with the average order exceeding $1,000.

Now Carolina Rustica is moving its showroom to the smartphone -- and though dining room tables and four-poster beds may seem at odds with the digital impulse purchases typically synonymous with mobile commerce, Sexton says that keeping up with the competition makes mobile a necessary evolution.