• by November 22, 2000

E-Tailers may want to sit down for the hottest, new findings about e-commerce. Not only is online purchasing growing by leaps and bounds, but the profile of the typical Web shopper is becoming more mainstream, according to Transactional Data Solutions (TDS).

In fact, during the first six months of this year the most dramatic increase in online shopping (187%) occurred among seniors aged 65 and over, which was followed only by a significant jump (141%) in the Web buying habits of Gen Yers aged 18-24, says the TDS study.

These consumer groups are still behind most of the population in per-capita online purchasing, but they are quickly catching up to the avid Web shoppers.

"There's been a great deal of speculation among e-commerce pundits as to when and if mainstream consumers would adopt online shopping habits, but the transition has actually already begun," said Steve Carnevale, General Manager of Transactional Data Solutions.

"The kind of dynamic growth among these extreme age ranges -- seniors and Gen Yers, in particular -- that we've seen in the past year suggests that clicks spending will become widespread across all age groups and demographics.

This information is vital for retailers and e-tailers to keep in mind, especially as America launches into the lucrative holiday shopping season."

This TDS study, drawn from a national panel of 650,000 MasterCard holders, also found that online purchasing in the first six months of this year skyrocketed 84% over the same period last year.