| Jupiter Research Expects US Holiday Online Retail Sales to Exceed $39 Billion this Year |
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New York, NY October 22, 2007 JupiterResearch, a leading authority on the impact of the Internet and emerging consumer technologies on business, forecasts that US online holiday retail sales will grow to over $39 billion in 2007, an increase of 20 percent over last year's holiday season, signaling this market remains insulated from macroeconomic factors cited to adversely affect overall holiday retail sales. According to a new JupiterResearch report US Online Retail Holiday Forecast, 2007, a record 126 million users, a 6 percent increase over last year, will buy online this holiday season. As a result, retailers are planning to increase their efforts to attract customers across a variety of tactics with search marketing leading the way. "Over half of online retailers say they will increase efforts with search engines, despite rising costs and some reports of declining ROI. Shoppers can also expect to take advantage of more free shipping offers this year," said Patti Freeman Evans, JupiterResearch Senior Analyst and lead author of the report. "This enticement will also translate to online retailers with brick-and-mortar stores who will likely to beef up their use of percent-off discounts." Aggressive use of percent-off discounts is expected from computer and consumer electronic sellers - fueling the flame of an already hot category. However, merely offering such incentives may not be enough to drive consumer traffic, especially among those who do not routinely shop online during the rest of year. Consumers unsure of whether or not they will shop online are expected to stick to traditional sources to find gifts this year as they gravitate to store visits and retailer websites more than places like wish lists and social sites, which means retailers need to focus on a variety of shopping tendencies to be successful. "Online retailers have an opportunity to gain market this year because of the resilience of online shoppers, in spite of a relatively soft off-line holiday season," said David Schatsky, President of JupiterResearch. "Aggressive use of cross channel messaging and promotions will be key to capturing undecided customers." The complete findings of this report are immediately available to JupiterResearch clients online at www.jupiterresearch.com . For details on JupiterResearch's methodology, visit www.jupiterresearch.com/bin/item.pl/methodology or email press@jupiterresearch.com to request a detailed methodology statement. For additional information on this report or JupiterResearch's Retail research service, visit www.jupiterresearch.com or contact Kieran Kelly, Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Client Service, at 1-800-481-1212 or researchsales@jupiterresearch.com . About JupiterResearch JupiterResearch provides unbiased research, analysis and advice, backed by proprietary data, to help companies profit from the impact of the Internet and emerging consumer technologies on their business. The company helps online businesses make critical decisions about technology selection, spending, staffing, and Web site effectiveness; advises consumer-facing companies with online advertising, marketing, and customer service strategies to understand, attract, convert and retain customers; and guides technology vendors and service providers on market opportunity, positioning, product definition, and pricing. JupiterResearch is headquartered in New York City and has offices throughout the US and Europe. For more information, visit www.jupiterresearch.com . |
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