Christmas optimism for online shopping
November 1, 2005 - 7:20AM
CAMBRIDGE,
Mass. (AP) - Online retail sales this Christmas season are
expected to rise 25 percent -- to $18 billion, despite
concerns about consumer confidence.
Forrester Research
says simple math accounts for the projected healthy increase.
It says 2.5 million new households are going online this year.
A big incentive to spend more online is the lure of
free shipping. Last year, 25 percent of online holiday
shoppers indicated that they increased their online purchases
to avoid shipping charges.
Categories likely to see
the strongest online sales growth include consumer
electronics, toys, and apparel, which is surging as retailers
offer more sophisticated tools to illustrate style and fit.
