The most frequently mentioned use of the Internet in relation to shopping was gathering information about products and services, done by 52 percent of Internet users. Forty percent have taken the plunge and purchased a product or service directly online. Two-thirds of the online purchasers in the survey had bought something online in the past 30 days. Internet information gathering is potentially as important as actual transactions, according to Braziller. Using the Web to get information about products or services, whether just to 'window shop' or plan a future purchase, can be a springboard to a whole series of future transactions that can take place on- and offline, using either old or new distribution channels.
Online shoppers show every sign of making the Internet a regular part of their shopping behavior.
Among those who said they were likely to buy books, music recordings, travel tickets, or computer software in the next 12 months, nearly half indicated they would make their purchase online, while most of the remainder planned to use the Internet for gathering information about the products they intended to buy elsewhere. A few people are still reluctant to try shopping online because of security concerns, but this is starting to recede as more attention focuses on privacy issues. The global study is based on a sample of 28,374 Internet users and consumers. Some of the data were collected before the 1999 holiday season where a number of Web sites experienced major customer service and delivery problems. Corp. All Rights Reserved.