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| GartnerG2 Survey Shows U.S. Online Consumers Are Buying Gifts This Holiday Season That They Purchased Over the Internet Before |
| Consumers are Comfortable Buying Toys, Games and Video Games Via the Internet |
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STAMFORD, CONN., December 9, 2002 — U.S. Internet users are playing safe this holiday season, and they're buying merchandise they've already had experience purchasing over the Web, according to a survey by GartnerG2, a research service of Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT and ITB).
In September 2002, GartnerG2 surveyed 1,317 adults in the United States by telephone to gauge their spending intentions this holiday season. The survey showed U.S. consumers will be buying the same types of products as holiday gifts - media, software and clothes - as they buy online throughout the rest of the year. Toys, games and video games rank No. 1 in holiday buying plans among online buyers, followed by books, clothes/shoes, videos and DVDs, and music CDs or cassettes, respectively. "The persistence of these patterns reinforce how well consumers now understand the strengths and weaknesses of the Web as a retail channel," said David Schehr, research director for GartnerG2. When asked to list the Web sites where they planned to purchase gifts this holiday season, survey respondents mentioned more than 70 names. "Only four of these merchants were "pure-play" Internet-only retailers, demonstrating the growing strength and importance of providing multiple channels to consumers," Schehr said. The two most frequently mentioned sites for purchases this holiday season are pure-plays. Amazon.com was mentioned by 22 percent of those surveyed (the figure rises to 28 percent with the inclusion of Toysrus.com and Circuitcity.com) while eBay.com was cited by 11 percent of online holiday gift buyers. "For the few remaining large online-only retailers, those with the staying power, consumer awareness and desired products, this holiday season is likely to be the strongest ever," Schehr said. "Smaller, niche-type online retailers should look to develop consumer interest through longer-term promotion efforts, perhaps through specialty publications and other targeted 'offline' marketing efforts." Worldwide online holiday sales in 2002 are projected to total $38.2 billion, a 48.4 percent increase from 2001. North America consumers are expected to spend $15.7 billion online. GartnerG2 is a research service from Gartner that helps business leaders guide and grow their businesses. For more information on the report and about GartnerG2 services, please visit www.gartnerG2.com. |
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About Gartner Gartner, Inc. is a research and advisory firm that helps more than 10,500 clients leverage technology to achieve business success. Gartner's businesses consist of Research, Consulting, Measurement, Events and Executive Programs. Founded in 1979, Gartner is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, and has 4,000 associates, including more than 1,000 research analysts and consultants, in more than 75 locations worldwide. Fiscal 2002 revenue totaled $907 million. For more information, visit www.gartner.com. |
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Contact: Christy Pettey Gartner +1 408 468 8475 christy.pettey@gartner.com |
