You’ve Got Sales
By George Anderson
The 2002 holiday selling season is going to be a good one, assuming you’re an online merchant, according to a just released report from eMarketer, The US Online Holiday Shopping Report.
The report projects an increase of 16 percent over sales during the fourth quarter of last year. In total, eMarketer estimates that retail sales for the quarter (excluding travel) will reach $12.97 billion. This growth rate is four times more than eMarketer is projecting for physical store sales.
The report sees changing shopping behavior and demographics as the drivers behind the online shopping numbers.
It estimates that 62 million consumers will make a purchase online in the fourth quarter of this year and that they will be spending a greater percentage of their overall shopping dollars in this manner.
Early adopters of the Internet, primarily young adults, now have the money and credit cards needed to shop online according to eMarketer. Another 3 million consumers, it estimates, will make their first online purchase.
Moderator’s Comment: How do you see the fourth quarter
shaping up for retailers? What formats, product categories do you expect to
surprise with either stronger or weaker than expected performance?
Etailers are going to need to be humming at optimum levels
this year, especially to meet orders placed closer to Christmas. As usual, some
will gain points with consumers. Others, however, will not only lose points
but the consumers also. [George
Anderson – Moderator]