When it comes to cyber-shopping, people love the convenience, price, access to items unavailable locally, and the lack of sales pressure. Whether it's booking flights, renting cars, or buying books, computers, musical instruments, or exercise equipment, people are flocking to cyberspace. If you don't know the Web address for a company you'd like to visit on-line, use Web search engines such as Yahoo, Lycos, and Excite. Click on their shopping links to find information about such things as privacy and safety tips, Web site reviews, and a list of their top shopping sites. Savvy vendors know how to keep on-line customers coming back for more on a regular basis.
Companies mix product offerings with consumer information and special cyber-only sales.
For example, each week airlines such as Northwest and American post weekly cyber fares that offer drastically reduced fares for weekend travel to selected cities. Lands' End logs some 500 e-mails a day from customers around the world, surpassing its print mail in volume. Cyber-shopping can be a real pain in the pinkie if your computer isn't up to snuff or the Web site hits some glitches. You're then given the option to check out or keep shopping. If you sign off before you complete the required checkout steps, your shopping cart automatically will empty.