Bulkeley knew that women make most of the buying decisions offline and saw no reason they wouldn't exert similar influence online. Even though most women work nowadays, more than 80 percent identify themselves as the principal shoppers in their households, according to Simmons Research. Women now slightly outnumber men among AOL's 19 million members, and AOL says 48 percent of its female subscribers buy online. Nationwide, women make up about 49 percent of the 100 million Internet users. They are expected to equal men next year, according to Jupiter Communications.
Women still spend less online, largely because their average income is lower.
Some Internet experts believe many e-commerce sites will begin counting more female shoppers during the upcoming holiday selling season. Already, Eddie Bauer's site has seen the shift. Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus also report more female buyers than men on their online sites. Online computer, electronics and music stores say that men still represent the bulk of their customers, but that the percentage of female buyers grows monthly, leading to some changes. Scores of new Web sites are aimed at women.