Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

By Paul Grimaldi
Journal staff writer

Retailers will angle for attention online Monday, trying to grab sales from people who may not have be impressed with the prices they find in stores during the long holiday weekend.

Surfing the Web for bargains on the Monday after Thanksgiving has become almost as traditional as the bleary-eyed trudge many Americans force upon themselves today -- Black Friday -- itself one of the heaviest shopping days of the year.

A survey commissioned by Shop.org, a division of the National Retail Federation, found that 55.8 percent of people with Internet access at work -- amounting to nearly 73 million Americans -- will shop from their place of employment today. In 2005, slightly less than 45 percent of workers did so.

Retailers, whether operating exclusively online or those who also operate bricks-and-mortar stores, understand Americans are more price conscious than ever.

"With consumers looking to save money due to the economy, the savings factor is playing a key role in keeping online shopping growing," said Scott Silverman, executive director of Shop.org, a unit of the National Retail Federation. "Consumers can comparison shop much more easily [online] than in other retail formats."

In a survey of 2,040 shoppers conducted Sept. 29 through Oct. 3, Shop.org found that 23 percent said they were spending more online due to high gasoline prices. Even though gasoline prices have cratered since then, falling to below $2 a gallon in many places, larger economic forces are expected to drive online shopping.

Also, shopping online continues to gain popularity because many Web sites are easier to use than earlier incarnations, have more interesting facets and people are getting more comfortable with the concept, according to retail analysts.

Forrester Research predicts online retail sales will grow 12 percent this holiday season, the slowest growth to date but more than five times the 2.2-percent increase the NRF predicts for sales in November and December.

"Online retailers are resilient when it comes to the economy, but they're not immune," said Silverman. He attributed the slower growth partly to the maturation of the online market. "It's challenging to keep up those really high growth rates."

Online retail spending in October grew only 1 percent from the same month a year ago, the lowest growth rate since 2001, according to comScore Inc., a Chicago market researcher.

Your Turn: Will you be shopping online more this holiday season?

 Tags  business online sales Thanksgiving

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