Online buying is undergoing a permanent change, says BizRate’s Chuck Davis
The fact that online shopping is almost back to pre-Sept. 11 levels is a sign that consumers will be taking even more advantage than before of the convenience that Internet retailing offers, Chuck Davis, president and CEO of researchers and online shopping comparison site BizRate.com tells Internet Retailer.
“We’ve already seen a seismic shift in the way people are behaving,” Davis says. “Online shopping this week is almost back at par, while indicators are that offline sales are down dramatically. We have seen the first two weeks that people are less willing to go to populated areas like malls and staying home to do more,” Davis says.
Davis also believes that the weak economy will add to consumers’ propensity to shop online. “When consumers cut back it is easier for them to surgically target their purchases online than to go to a store where impulse purchases are so much easier to make.”
Davis expects 25% growth in the fourth quarter from last year’s fourth quarter. “That is not a massive slowing down of use,” he says.
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