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.

"T'he 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.

Source: "GartnerG2 Survey Shows U.S. Online Consumers Are Buying Gifts This Holiday Season That They Purchased Over the Internet Before," December 9, 2002

Gartner analysts estimate $160 million will be lost this holiday season to fraud and approximately $315 million will be lost in sales due to suspect transactions.

"'E-tailers report that fraud attacks are becoming more sophisticated, frequent, and menacing in nature,'" said Avivah Litan, vice president and research director for Gartner. "'Despite efforts to curb online fraud, the rate of fraud has stayed constant at 1 percent since mid-2000.'"

E-tailers believe they are not getting the help they need from the credit card companies that issue credit cards to consumers. "'Several leading credit card issuers have stopped taking online merchant phone calls in which the retailers request verification of credit card names and addresses when they run across a suspicious transaction,'" said Litan. "'Major online merchants are also highly skeptical that new initiatives by VISA and MasterCard to address fraud through the Verified by VISA and MasterCard SecureCode programs will markedly reduce their fraud losses.'"

Source: "Gartner Says U.S. E-Tailers Will Lose Nearly $500 Million This Holiday Season to Fraud and Lost Sales, " December 11, 2002

"This holiday season will be especially joyful in Europe, as it becomes the No. 1 region for worldwide online sales in the fourth quarter of 2002, according to GartnerG2, a research service of Gartner, Inc."

"Worldwide online holiday sales in 2002 are projected to total $38.2 billion, a 48.4 percent increase from the same period last year. For the first time, Europeans will spend more money online this holiday season than any other region, with revenue reaching $15.77 billion. North America will be the No. 2 region with revenue at $15.66 billion."

"'Gains in Europe are being fueled by companies integrating their mail order and Web presence," said Gill Mander, business analyst for GartnerG2. "Europeans are using multiple channels, browsing printed catalogs and then ordering online. We're seeing this happen more, especially in the clothing and toy merchandise industries.'"

"'Because of the large installed base of Internet users in the United States, new user growth is slowing. Consequently, less of the increase in online holiday spending will come from the supply of 'new recruits' simply because there are fewer of them," said David Schehr, research director for GartnerG2. "But, for a growing number of U.S. consumers, the question is no longer if they will buy holiday gifts online, but simply how much will they buy.'"

Source : "GartnerG2 Says Europe Will Lead Worldwide Online Holiday Shopping Sales in 2002," October 28, 2002