They live in the Abbey of Gethsemani and to raise funds they sell their products to visitors. Trappist cheese, fruitcake and bourbon fudge have been Internet hits Sales have been so good that the monks simply could not keep up with production. This is not the miracle of Gethsemani. Across the United States, Internet shopping has taken off big time, and Christmas has been the season to prove it.
Online retailers claim that many of their customers are first-time shoppers.
Compared to the conventional retail market this is still peanuts, but investors appear to be confident that the Internet is the future. Not every initial public offering is successful, but those that make it see their share price taken to spectacular heights. The Christmas business boosted Internet sales threefold Take eBay, the online auction house, which some unkind observers call the Internet flea market. The company still has to make a profit. The Internet veterans are doing well too.