Holiday shoppers will do more of their buying online this year, study says

55% of frequent web shoppers plan to shop online this holiday season, up from 49% last year, and e-commerce will account for a 26% share of holiday spending, up from 21% last year, The E-tailing Group Inc. says in a new study.

“Every merchant’s challenge will be capturing their fair share of consumer holiday spending during these challenging times,” The E-tailing Group says in a report on the study, which was authored by Lauren Freedman, president of the research and consulting firm.

The study—which is based on an online questionnaire completed in September and October by 1,020 adults who had shopped online four times or more in the past year and spent $500 or more—makes the following findings regarding consumers’ holiday spending:

• 48% of respondents plan to buy from six to 15 gifts, virtually the same as 47% last year.
  
• 43% plan to spend between $301 and $800 on gifts for family and friends.
  
• Despite consumers’ focus on value, 88% are willing to pay full price for hard-to-find products, convenience and good service.

As for consumer views of online shopping features, the study found:

• 91% of respondents cited free shipping as important to buying online; 81% cited free returns.
  
• Customer service tools, including accessible retailer contact information and easy access to a shopping cart, were also cited as important by respondents.
  
• The sharpest increases in consumer demand were for online gift centers, cited by 49% of respondents, up from 30% last year, and wish lists, cited by 48%, up from 35%.

Regarding consumers’ concerns about marketing strategies, the study found:

• 43% who have opted in to receive e-mail messages prefer to receive them weekly.
  
• One-third of shoppers plan to use a mobile phone for shopping purposes this holiday season, primarily to look up merchants (18%) and to compare prices (18%).
  
• 37% of online shoppers will be influenced by social networking sites, up from 24% last year, but fewer than 20% will make a purchase as a result.