• by Paul Gough , November 6, 2003

A survey of consumers finds that online retailers are going to have many happy returns by the end of the holidays.

There will be $17 billion in retail sales online this holiday season, an increase of 21 percent over last year, predicts Jupiter Research in a survey of consumers released today. That will make it the top season ever in terms of volume, according to Jupiter Research retail analyst Patti Freeman Evans.

But consumers also tell Jupiter Research that they're pushing the outside of the deadline, many waiting until the last minute before they finish shopping. Evans said that the retailers who can get the orders delivered in time are going to win big.

"Because consumers' primary concerns about buying gifts online center on shipping and delivery, retailers who fulfill orders on time, even very late in the buying season, stand to garner high loyalty points with holiday shoppers," said Evans.

More details from the survey:

40 percent of online users plan to do some or all of their holiday shopping online, more than 18 percent more than last year.

46 percent do plan to start shopping early, more than four weeks before the holiday.

Fewer seemed to be concerned about security of their credit cards. Only 36 percent noted concerns about credit cards, compared to 47 percent a year ago.

--Paul J. Gough