European Visa cardholders spent €2.5bn (£1.66bn) online
during the fourth quarter of last year, a 136% increase on the same
period in 2001.Visa EU
said the figures, released yesterday (10 February), reflect the
increased consumer confidence in online shopping and the increased
number of companies from different sectors launching e-commerce
operations.
The travel
and entertainment sector led the e-commerce growth, with online
sales for the quarter up by 531% compared to 2001. Bookings for
tourist attractions, hotels and airline tickets were among the
biggest climbers, while online bookings for car rentals were 947%
up on 2001 figures.
The retail
sector, which largely struggled on the high street, performed well
online with sales up by more than 100% compared with the last
quarter of 2001. Electrical retailers and online grocers were
particularly popular, with sales rising by 114% and 58%
respectively.
Hugo
Bottelier, vice-president of Visa EU, said the company expected the
figures for online sales to keep rising.
"As well
as sustained growth in sales, the e-commerce arena is becoming
increasingly diverse with more and more sectors beginning to take
advantage of the convenience and accessibility of the internet.
"With the
introduction of new security measures, such as Verified by Visa,
consumer confidence in online shopping will continue to grow and we
predict that the figures will carry on rising for some time
yet."
