E-sales for 2004 were estimated at $69.2 billion reflecting an increase of 23.5 percent over the previous year as reported by the U.S. Commerce Department. Researchers predict that online sales will double over the next few years.
Clearly consumers have accepted shopping online as a good way to find,
compare, and buy goods, and it’s apparent that buying from home with the click
of a mouse will continue to be an appealing way to do business. Searching for
product and service information currently ranks right behind e-mail and instant
messaging as a popular online activity, and more consumers are making the leap
from real world to internet world buying.
The Typical Online Shopper
The first online shopping wave included affluent, well-educated individuals
mostly in the 20-30 age bracket. Today, as more individuals jump on the
internet bandwagon, the profile of an online shopper reflects more closely the
average person on the street.
Though online shopping attracts a wide range of consumers, women have
quickly become the primary buyers in the e-marketplace. About 2/3 of all
shoppers are female. This, of course, reflects the bigger overall female
shopping population and also the input by women when it comes to making or
influencing purchase decisions.
A good portion of these female shoppers are married and have young children.
When women work and raise families, convenience becomes a prime concern. It’s
simply easier to sit and click from the living room than to load up the kids
and head to town. Children tend to like this new shopping arrangement better as
well.
Mentally picture a mom with coupons tucked in her purse, and you have a
pretty good mental image of the average to heavy online shopper. According to a
study conducted by professors at Brigham
Young University,
E-Value seekers (women with an eye for value) plunked down $376 during a single
holiday buying season with around 22% of all seasonal spending in the online
marketplace.
Once a person makes the online shopping leap, he or she is likely to
continue buying over the internet. In fact, many shoppers buy a good percentage
of goods online. If a book purchase goes smoothly, a consumer is likely to
consider buying other items. About 20% of online shoppers use click-and-buy
once per week or more, and this trend is expected to continue.