Shopping on the Internet has rapidly become a boom industry. Electronic commerce soared in 1998, particularly during the holiday shopping season, with more people buying gifts online than ever before. As buyers become more accustomed to providing their credit card information online, e-commerce will continue to explode.
Some products do better than others online.
This charts shows what buyers tend to purchase. The Internet enables users to quickly comparison shop to find the best deals. Those price breaks can be offset, however, by shipping and handling costs. Perhaps the best thing about online shopping is choice. Generally, it's safest, not to mention easiest, to go with established brands and familiar retailers in cyberspace, as in your local shopping mall.