Even though most women work nowadays, they still do the bulk of America's shopping, with more than 80 percent identifying themselves as the principal shoppers in their households, according to Simmons Research. Indeed, the trend Bulkeley predicted has hit AOL full force and is sweeping through the rest of cyberspace. Women now slightly outnumber men among AOL's 19 million members, and AOL says 48 percent of its female subscribers are making online purchases. 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 that 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 women buyers than men on their online sites. Online computer, electronics and music stores say men still represent the bulk of their customers but add that the percentage of female buyers grows every month. That has led some to make changes.