84% of women plan to increase spending as the economy improves

84% of women and 79% of men say they plan to increase spending once the economy improves and consumer confidence increases, according to a new report.

The survey found that 41% of consumers say they plan to purchase clothing and accessories and 34% plan to buy electronics. However, there were clear gender differences. For instance, 52% of women say they plan to spend on apparel, compared to 30% of men.

The report is based on a poll of 1,200 online consumers conducted by Javelin Strategy & Research for eBillme, a payment services provider that enables online shoppers to make payments from their bank accounts.

Consumers plan to spend an average of $252 online overall in the second quarter, a 7% increase from the same period a year ago, the report says.

“Shoppers are still being cautious because there remains uncertainty about the economy, but it is clear from our study that once confidence improves, they know exactly where they want to spend again,” says Samer Forzley, vice president of marketing for eBillme. “[That’s] good news for retailers that sell in categories like apparel, electronics and appliances that are showing strong signs of future sales growth.”