A Purdue University retail expert says holiday shopping on the Internet may triple this year, but stores won't be any less crowded. No amount of hassle, no number of rude sales associates, will change the habit American consumers have of finding great bargains and values inside stores.
Consumers like to touch, feel and smell the products they purchase.
He says catalog retailers with strong brand names, such as Lands' End, also will find Internet shoppers seeking them out. Feinberg says many consumers like the convenience of Internet shopping, but are wary of purchasing products over the Internet. He says retailers are taking measures to combat some of those fears, such as pointing out their security measures to on-line customers. Anxious shoppers also find the high-speed information highway too slow. They still enjoy shopping for the perfect gift and carrying it home that moment.