• by Masha Geller , November 19, 2001

Two reports out today may give you a hint of what to expect this holiday season.

The first is from Forrester Research, Inc. and Greenfield Online, which today announced the results of the latest Forrester Online Retail Index. According to the 22nd survey in this monthly series, total US spending on online sales decreased from $4.0 billion in September to $3.6 billion in October. The number of households shopping online decreased to 13.7 million in October, from 15.2 million in September. Consumers spent an average of $265 per person in October, compared with $262 in September.

"Great deals -- like zero-percent financing -- in the brick-and-mortar world lured consumers back to the malls after a slow September, but they decreased their use of the Web to make purchases," said Christopher M. Kelley, analyst at Forrester. "And, while they were out buying a car that they won't have to pay for until next year, it was also convenient to pick up a sweater and CD that they might otherwise have bought online."

It's not all bad news for online, however. The second set of data - the eSpending Report - released today by Goldman Sachs, Harris Interactive, and NetRatings, Inc., found that 35% of all Americans report being very satisfied with their online holiday shopping experience. Additionally, 17 percent stated that their holiday shopping satisfaction is higher this season than last year.

According to the Nielsen//NetRatings Holiday eCommerce Index, traffic to ecommerce sites jumped 14% during the second week of November, signaling the beginning of the online holiday shopping season.

Researchers say that lower prices and the ability to easily compare products and item cost on the Internet led 39% of Americans to shop online this past week. Of those surveyed, 67% said pricing was their main purchasing factor, while 59% cited product selection. Additionally, 26% of shoppers indicated that shipping costs are impacting their purchasing decisions this season.