• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, December 19, 2002

Seven Percent of Under 20’s to Spend $5 Billion on Web This Season

Harris Interactive, in a recent report on the US youth market, finds that young people between the ages of eight and 18 are increasingly planning to shop this holiday season, spending a total of $5.05 billion during the 2002 holiday.

Harris finds that the oldest age group -- 16 to 18 year-olds -- will spend the most this holiday season, with an estimate for the group of $2.20 billion. And, Harris believes the eight to nine year-old age group represents roughly $442 million in holiday sales.

A Taylor Nelson Sofres study, though, finds that just 7% of internet users worldwide are buying online and under the age of 20. In fact, most young children do not have the means (credit card access) to shop online. And, as Zandl Group points out, in a 2000 survey of kids between the ages of eight and 12, most (56%) are not allowed to shop online.

US Youth Holiday Spending Projections

Age	# gifts bought	Avg Spent	Avg Price/gift	Tot Spending (Mil $)
8-9	8.3	$52.30	$6.30	$441.8
10-12	8.5	65.90	7.75	821.4
13-15	11.6	131.30	11.32	1,586.4
16-18	12.1	182.40	15.07	2,202.0

Source: Harris Interactive, Dec, 2002

Online Buyers Worldwide, 2002 (% Internet users)

Age	Online Buyers
0-20	7%
20-29	16
30-39	19
40-59	15
60+	13

Source: Taylor Nelson Sofres, June, 2002

Why US Online Teens 8-12 Are Not Shopping Online (%Online Teens)

Not allowed	56%
Can’t examine items	36
No access to credit card	32
Prices too high	20
Confusing procedure	16
Difficult to return	14

Source: The Zandi Group