Abstract
Although consumers are reacting to the economic downturn by spending less, this will create more of a hardship for retail stores than for e-tailers. A drop in new online buyers- an inevitable sign of the maturation of the online retail channel- will contribute most to the decline of e-commerce sales growth.
The US Retail E-Commerce report charts and analyzes the factors that are contributing to the changing dynamics in online sales.
Consumers are reacting to the economic slowdown by cutting back on discretionary spending. However, store sales will be hit harder than Internet sales because affluent shoppers, who form the core of online buyers, tend to ride out economic downturns better than lower- and middle-income consumers.
Some consumers even plan to increase online spending to save gas money or find bargains.
eMarketer estimates that US retail e-commerce sales (excluding travel) will reach $146 billion in 2008, up 14.3% over 2007. Still, over the next few years sales growth rates will steadily decline.
Key questions “US Retail E-Commerce” report answers:
- How is the economic downturn shaping consumers' online spending plans?
- What is the outlook for online retail sales over the next five years?
- What are the underserved consumer segments holding back e-commerce growth?
- How can Web retailers unlock the spending power of underserved consumers?
- And many others....
eMarketer Reports- On Target and Up to Date
The US Retail E-Commerce report aggregates the latest data from marketing and communications researchers with eMarketer analysis to provide the information you need to make smart, accurate business decisions.
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
- US Retail E-Commerce Sales, 2007-2012 (billions and % change)
- Key Questions
The eMarketer View
- Key eMarketer Numbers - US Retail E-Commerce
Retail E-Commerce Overview
- US Online Buyers for Whom Online Buying Reduces Offline Buying, 2006 & 2007 (% of respondents)
- Channel Share of Holiday Season Spending among US Internet Users, 2006 & 2007 (% of total)
- The Current Economic Environment
- Planned Change in Total Purchases of Discretionary* Goods by US Internet Users vs. Last Year, 2008 (% of respondents)
- Planned Change in Online Purchases of Discretionary* Goods by US Online Buyers vs. Last Year, 2008 (% of respondents)
- Planned Change in the Amount of Retail Products Purchased by Category according to US Online Buyers, 2008 (% of respondents)
- Effects of the Current Economic Climate* on Shopping Behavior of US Adult Consumers, 2008 (% of respondents)
- Reasons that US Internet Users Make Purchases Online vs. in a Store, 2008 (% of respondents)
Retail E-Commerce Market Forecast
- US Retail E-Commerce Consumer Demand Model, 2007-2012
- Consumer Online Buying Definitions, 2007
- Online Shoppers and Buyers
- US Online Shoppers, 2007-2012 (millions and % of Internet users)
- US Online Buyers, 2007-2012 (millions and % of Internet users)
- Comparative Estimates: US Online Buyers, 2006-2010 (% of Internet users)
- Online Sales
- US Retail E-Commerce Sales, 2007-2012 (billions and % change)
- Comparative Estimates: US Retail E-Commerce Sales, 2007-2012 (billions)
- Average Annual Amount US Online Buyers Spend Online, 2007-2012 (% change)
Online Consumers
- Online Buyer Demographics
- Demographic Profile of US Online Buyers vs. Internet Users Who Have Not Purchased Online, August-September 2007 (% of respondents)
- Demographic Profile of US Online Buyers, Q4 2007 (% of respondents in each group)
- US Affluent Baby Boomers* Who Buy Online, 2004 & 2007 (% of respondents)
- US Online Buyers, by Race/Ethnicity, 2002 & 2007 (% of population in each group)
- Online Shopping Activities of US Internet Users, by Race/Ethnicity, March-April 2007 (% of respondents in each group)
- Top Five Product Categories Purchased by US Online Buyers, by Gender, November 2007 (% of respondents)
- Advantages and Disadvantages of Buying Online
- Leading Reasons that US Holiday Shoppers Make Online Purchases, November 2007 (% of respondents)
- Positive and Negative Attitudes of US Internet Users toward Online Shopping, by Age, August-September 2007 (% of respondents in each group)
- Positive and Negative Attitudes of US Internet Users toward Online Shopping, by Household Income, August-September 2007 (% of respondents in each group)
- Leading Reasons* for Choosing to Buy Online according to US Online Buyers, by Income, November 2007 (% of respondents)
Two Underserved Consumer Markets
- Seniors
- US Internet Users Ages 62+, 2006-2011 (millions and % of total Internet users)
- Demographic Profile of US Seniors: Internet Users vs. Non-Internet Users, 2008 (% of respondents in each group)
- Leading Online Activities of US Senior Internet Users, 2008 (% of respondents)
- Leading Types of Online Content Used by US Internet Users Ages 55+, February 2008 (% of respondents)
- US Adult Internet Users Who Believe Online Content Is Focused on Own Age Group, by Age, February 2008 (% of respondents in each group)
- US Internet Users Ages 35+ Who Believe Online Advertising Is Focused on Younger Age Group, by Age, February 2008 (% of respondents in each group)
- Hispanics
- US Hispanic Internet Users, 2007-2012 (millions and % of total Internet users)
- US Retail E-Commerce Spending, by Race/Ethnicity, 2011 (billions)
- Demographic Profile of US Hispanic Adult Internet Users, by Web Site Language Preference, Q1 2007
- Attitudes of US Hispanic Adult Internet Users toward Spanish-Language Web Sites, Q1 2007 (% of respondents)
- Online Consumer Behavior of US Hispanic Adult Internet Users, by Web Site Language Preference, Q1 2007 (% of respondents)
Trends to Watch
- The continued development of dedicated, niche sites
- Accruing benefits of dedicated sites
- The challenge of selling based on customer attributes
Related Information and Links
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