The number of Americans buying online will double from 64.1 million
in 2000 to 130 million by 2005 despite the slowing economy,
according to a report by research firm eMarketer.
The report, which aggregates and analyses data from more than 100
research organisations, has varying e-commerce estimates for the
year 2001 in the US, with figures ranging from $37.1bn (£25.5bn) by
Direct Marketing Association to $117bn by Keenan Vision, according
to eMarketer.
eMarketer's own estimate is that US business-to-consumer revenues,
which totalled $38.3bn in 2000, will quadruple to $156bn by
2005.
The Internet, according to eMarketer, is being accepted and is
evolving as a key distribution channel for traditional merchants.
Lines are blurring between traditional business operations and
Internet pure-plays, the company said.
Other highlights of eMarketer's report include:
- Visa International places online credit card fraud rates at
between 25 cents to 28 cents per every $100 charged, significantly
higher than the 7 cents for all transactions.
- Jupiter Media Metrix found that consumers are "overwhelmingly"
fearful about theft of credit card data online. Nearly 81% of US
consumers are afraid their number will be intercepted online.
- The number of US Internet users, noted as 116.5 million in
2000, will jump to 184.1 million by 2005.
- Alexa Research reports that 33 sites in the top 50 e-commerce
sites have multi-channel operations, while only 17 are pure
dotcoms.
- Giga Information Group reports that click-and-mortar companies
will dominate Internet sales again in 2001, as they did in
2000.