98% of online retailers expect growth during holiday season

An estimated 98% of retailers expect e-commerce growth this holiday season, according to the 2004 Shop.org/BizRate.com Online Holiday Mood Study. The survey also showed 32% of consumers aim to conduct more of their holiday shopping online this year. BizRate.com polled 1,722 online buyers and more than 100 online retailers. 72% said they plan to begin holiday marketing at the same time as last year. And 53% of the retailers intend to begin promoting for the holidays after Halloween, despite 53% of online shoppers having started their shopping almost a month before. By this time, only 14% of retailers will have begun their online holiday marketing promotions. 89% of the surveyed online shoppers will use it more than they did in the last holiday season to comparison shop. 86% will go online to research gifts for others, 74% to buy gifts for others and 53% to purchase gifts for themselves.