Despite Signs of an Impending Letdown in Consumer Spending Online Sales for the Fourth Quarter are Forecast to be $262 billion up 219 Over Last Year



Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c24979) has announced the addition of Online Holiday Preview to their offering

As far as online merchants are concerned, the holiday shopping season can't start soon enough. Not only do the holidays generate a high percentage of the yearly sales, they attract new shoppers. If retailers can provide a satisfactory shopping experience - it's an opportunity to convert the new visitors into long-term customers.

The Online Holiday Shopping Preview report projects what will happen in the next - very important - few months of online shopping and buying.

Despite signs of an impending letdown in consumer spending, eMarketer forecasts that online sales for the fourth quarter will be $26.2 billion, up 21.9% over last year. That rates it as a strong, but not exceptional, online holiday shopping season. Shoppers shifting their purchases online will drive much of the gain.

Last year, intense rivalry among online retailers competing for "wallet share" led to aggressive promotions. Even though the effect of offers such as free shipping on long-term customer loyalty is uncertain - look for more of the same this year.

In addition, since e-retailers have largely worked out Web site performance issues, this year their attention is shifting to developing personalized marketing messages and customized shopping experiences.

The Online Holiday Shopping Preview report aggregates the latest data from leading researchers-comScore Networks, DoubleClick, ForeSee Results, Goldman Sachs, Harris Interactive, JupiterResearch, Nielsen//NetRatings, NRF, Shop.org WebTrends and others-with a wealth of eMarketer numbers, projections and analysis to give you the up-to-date information you need to make smart, fast marketing decisions about upcoming holiday seasons.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c24979

Laura Wood
Senior Manager
Research and Markets
e-mail protected from spam bots
Fax: +353 1 4100 980





Despite Signs of an Impending Letdown in Consumer Spending Online Sales for the Fourth Quarter are Forecast to be $262 billion up 219 Over Last Year