• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, November 12, 2002

About 22% of women with access to the internet have bought something online compared with 19% of men, a Royal Bank of Scotland survey found. The study was conducted by Taylor Nelson Sofres interviewing 611 adults with internet access. But when men do decide to buy via the web they are likely to spend more money than women. While women spent an average of 70 pounds a month online, men spent 111 a month.

The survey indicates that CDs, videos and books are still the most popular online purchases in the UK. And the study found that around 29% of female Internet users have bought clothes online compared to around 15% of male surfers.

When it came to groceries and wine, women also did more of the shopping with 13% saying they had bought over the net compared with 8% of men. But men were more active when it came to buying travel, with 24% of men and 22% of women having made a purchase over the net.

People aged 25 to 34 were most likely to shop via the net while those aged over 55 were more reluctant web buyers, the study said. And the biggest spenders were the 35 to 44 year olds.

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