Consumers can find what they want irrespective of the merchant, or go to the name they want. In Australia, he said, online shoppers were more often men, though the number of women shoppers was growing. Most US online shoppers were in the 18-36 age category, he said. Many shopped either from the office or outside business hours because heavy work commitments made online shopping more convenient. Reluctance to give credit card numbers over the Internet is still the biggest single impediment to online shopping, but seems to be declining.
Statistics show the Internet is now safer from fraud than traditional shops.
But buyers on the Net are more fickle than those who visit the high street. Retailers with positions in both areas look much stronger. Australia's online marketplace has changed and grown tougher this year with the arrival on the battlefield of David Jones and Myer-Grace Brothers. Our imperatives included making sure we maintained our brand and enhanced it through this new way of dealing with our customers. We have not yet put the whole store online and are managing our exposure carefully.