Consumer Attitudes Towards E-commerce Products and Services Indicate Growing Acceptance of Online Transactions
Two Thirds of Online Shoppers Have Purchased Travel Over The Internet -- Main Motivators For Booking Online Include Ability to Find Better Deals and Access to Travel Related Topics
SUNNYVALE, CA--Dec. 27, 2001--
Yahoo! Inc., a leading global Internet consumer and business services company, and ACNielsen, the world`s leading market research firm, today announced the results of the Yahoo!/ACNielsen Internet Confidence Index, a quarterly study designed to measure confidence levels in Internet products and services. Overall, the Index continued an upward trend, rising one point over the special study fielded in early October.
Also designed to identify key motivators of consumer behavior the Index found that nearly two-thirds of all online shoppers have booked travel online. Of those participants, 37 percent said they prefer to book their travel via the Internet because they felt they could find better travel deals online, and 35 percent stated that the Internet serves as a good research tool for travel-related topics. Travel makes up nearly 25 percent of e-commerce transactions (NRF/Forrester Online Retail Index, December 2001).
"Successful e-commerce businesses have been able to deliver products and services that truly add value to consumers` lives, making online transactions increasingly essential to our everyday activities," said Anke Audeneart, director global market research, Yahoo!. "Over the holiday season consumer savvy e-commerce platforms have remained committed to delivering positive online shopping experiences, which in turn have reinforced consumer confidence, as evidenced by the increase in the Index."
Confidence Rises Slightly
The one point increase in this version of the Index may indicate that the increased confidence from the special October study was not a one-time event; rather, there has been a positive, long-term change in consumers` attitudes. The special October report was conducted to capture any shifts in confidence in the Internet following the September 11 tragedies, and found that Internet confidence dramatically increased nine points since the early September study.
Additionally, since the launch of the Internet Confidence Index in June 2001, the findings have shown that consumers feel more confident about inputting their credit card information online, that they will receive good customer service from the online merchants, and that the items they purchase online will be delivered in time. The Index indicates that 47 percent of the survey respondents intend to shop online during the first quarter of 2002, down 13 percentage points from the fourth quarter 2001. The anticipated slow down in frequency of shopping online (attributed to post-holiday sales activity) is mildly offset by the fact that the average dollar spend has increased slightly from $219 in the October study to $226 for the current study. According to the Index, consumers will spend nearly $15 billion online during the first three months of 2002.
"The increase in average intended spending per Internet user shows that web retailers are becoming more and more accepted as part of the overall consumer shopping experience," noted Travyn Rhall, managing director, ACNielsen International Research. "It also demonstrates that Internet retailers are building loyal customer bases that are spending more and more money during their visits."
About the Yahoo!/ACNielsen Internet Confidence Index
The Yahoo!/ACNielsen Internet Confidence Index measures consumers` attitudes related to potential motivators and barriers to e-commerce, as well as various facets of purchasing behavior within the U.S. The index score for the initial Yahoo!/ACNielsen Internet Confidence Index (June 2001) was set at 100 for use as a baseline, allowing for subsequent survey data to be converted into trended, indexed scores.
ACNielsen, on behalf of Yahoo!, conducts research for the Index through computer-aided telephone interviewing with random digit dialing and utilizes a sample size audience of 1,000 adults, who may or may not be currently utilizing the Internet. Yahoo! publishes Index results on a quarterly basis, four times per calendar year and when special circumstances merit close examination of changes in consumer attitudes.
About ACNielsen
ACNielsen, a VNU company, is the world`s leading marketing information company. Offering services in more than 100 countries, the company provides measurement and analysis of marketplace dynamics and consumer attitudes and behavior. Clients rely on ACNielsen`s market research, proprietary products, analytical tools and professional service to understand competitive performance, to uncover new opportunities and to raise the profitability of their marketing and sales campaigns.
About Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is a leading global Internet communications, commerce and media company that offers a comprehensive branded network of services to more than 218 million individuals each month worldwide. As the first online navigational guide to the Web, www.yahoo.com is the leading guide in terms of traffic, advertising, household and business user reach. Yahoo! is the No. 1 Internet brand globally and reaches the largest audience worldwide. Through the Yahoo! Enterprise Solutions division, the company also provides online business and enterprise services designed to enhance the productivity and Web presence of Yahoo!`s clients. The company`s global Web network includes 24 World properties. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, Yahoo! has offices in Europe, Asia, Latin America, Australia, Canada and the United States.
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