The report forecasts that in excess of 106 million people will shop online in December 2001, 27% more than the 85 million who bought online in 2000.
“The number of shoppers for the 2001 holiday season is expected to grow 27 percent, equating to 21 million more people shopping on the Web compared to last year. This signals a solid outlook for e-tailers who will benefit from an even larger group of shoppers during the upcoming holiday season,” said Sean Kaldor, vice president of analytical services at NetRatings.
“With more people shopping and buying online compared to last year, ecommerce activity is set to post respectable year-over-year growth, despite the effects of the economic slowdown and recent national events,” said Kaldor.
Apparel will be the highest spending category with $2,445 being spent on this sector in November and December this year, books, music and videos is next at $1,696 then auction sites ($1,364) and toys ($1,053).
