NFO Interactive, the world`s
largest provider of in-depth interactive research, has just announced the
release of the 2000 Online Retail Monitor.The Online Retail Monitor is a
bi-annual study conducted by NFO Interactive that examines the buying habits,
attitudes and trends in online retailing.
A total of 2,134 online users, both buyers and non-buyers, took part in
the 2000 Online Retail Monitor.  In the current report you will find
information on differing segments of shoppers and what makes them tick, the
role that price plays in the online purchase decision making process, what are
the hot categories right now and why, how top sites performed on measures of
“stickiness” as well as data addressing numerous other topics that relate to
this day and age of online shopping.
Some key learning:

* 80% of those we surveyed have actually transacted online at some juncture.  Virtually all online users have used the Internet as part of the shopping process.
* While men once dominated the online shopping scene, 58% of current online shoppers are female.

* Three fourths of all online purchases are made by one fourth of online shoppers. These online shoppers have purchased from, on average,
6 categories in the past 3 months.
* While online shopping is growing in popularity, the largest segment of
individuals that we surveyed has not made online shopping a “habit” and continues to be concerned about security.
* In analyzing individuals who state that they are unlikely to make a purchase online in the future, 72% of them state that they are concerned about security.
* 41% of those surveyed said they would feel more confident in a site if
they could email a sales representative for customer service. 45% said they would visit a site more if that email were responded to within 12 hours.
* 16% of online consumers have used a shopping agent when researching a product online or making a purchase but their use of agents is not strictly to find the lowest price.
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