E-commerce analysts predict $1.1 billion spree on gifts

  • Canadian shoppers say they’ll spend $1.1 billion online, according to Ipsos-Reid. But taking into account error margins in previous years, the company says that number may reach $1.4 billion – 21 per cent more than last year.
  • In

    the U.S., Jupiter Research is predicting online sales of $13.1 billion (US), a 17 per cent increase over 2001.

  • In Canada, 23 per cent of Internet users plan make an online gift purchase, according to Ipsos-Reid. Polling by the company in the U.S. suggests that number is 32 per cent south of the border.
  • In the U.S., the holiday shopping season – defined as from the Thanksgiving holiday to the week before Christmas – is only 17 days this year. This will cause a loss of online sales to brick-and-mortar retailers, says Jupiter senior analyst Ken Cassar – online shoppers tend to buy well in advance.
  • How far in advance? According to Jupiter’s research, 79 per cent of online shoppers buy more than four weeks in advance.
  • Ipsos-Reid vice-president Chris Ferneyhough says that outside the traditional e-tail categories – electronics, books, CDs, toys and the like – there will be some “dabbling” in categories like jewelry and apparel. But the numbers aren’t big. “The percentages aren’t big enough to say it’s a significant change. That’s why we call it ‘dabbling,’” says Ferneyhough, who declined to attach hard numbers to the increase.

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Jim Love, Chief Content Officer, IT World Canada

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Dave Webb
Dave Webb
Dave Webb is a technology journalist with more than 15 years' experience. He has edited numerous technology publications including Network World Canada, ComputerWorld Canada, Computing Canada and eBusiness Journal. He now runs content development shop Dweeb Media.

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