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11.24.08 Holiday Shopping Season Shaping Up Well  By Doug Caverly It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, or, as much of the country is in a rather soggy state right now, at least the Christmas/holiday shopping season. Multiple sources indicate that online businesses should do all right on Black Friday and in the following weeks. Let's start with Hitwise, which has been tracking visits to Black Friday websites. A strong ramping-up of traffic is underway that puts 2005 levels to shame and tops 2006's. Otherwise, Heather Dougherty reports, "[F]ewer publicized sales to date and a late Thanksgiving has the total market share of visits currently lower than the same timeframe last year," but the gap's not huge. As for what will happen next, Luke Knowles, the founder and president of FreeShipping.org, believes eCommerce sites that favor discounts will perform well. "Since the economy is sluggish, consumers will be looking for deals more than ever because they have less disposable income. Some people plan to only buy items that are on sale," Knowles said in a formal release. "This is a key reason why online sales - not just on Cyber Monday, but through much of December - should be brisk."
And then a Nielsen report kicks in with what might be considered an even brighter outlook. Ken Cassar, the company's vice president of industry insights, stated, "[C]onsumers continue to view the online channel's principal value proposition as convenience, more than price, allowing retailers the opportunity to differentiate on service and selection." Don't count on blowing last year's numbers out of the water, then, but it looks like eCommerce won't be crushed or even especially damaged by the recession anytime soon. About the Author: Doug is a staff writer for WebProNews. Visit WebProNews for the latest eBusiness news. |
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