Consumers shopping online are not doing so because of prices, Freedman said. They're buying convenience. I don't think prices are better or worse. I think they're finding an alternative way to shop. They've got the list, and know where to go for it.
Retailers see a change in consumer attitudes toward online shopping.
It's becoming a much more natural act to go online and shop and find information and add value to their life. Part of its success comes from continuing to tweak its site, adding features and services, such as a jewelry site, a feature finder, a gift site and a customer service site, Spiegal said. America Online, the biggest online service with 14-million subscribers, has built an online shopping channel with 110 retailers as partners, spokeswoman Wendy Goldberg said. AOL doesn't disclose sales figures, but Goldberg said AOL is comfortable with projections that overall online holiday sales will double this year. AOL's goal is to provide a one-stop shopping service, emphasizing convenience.