Still-confident online consumers to spend $14.8 billion in Q1, study says
Despite concerns about the overall economy, U.S. consumers plan to spend $14.8 billion online in the first quarter, up from $14.6 billion in Q1 2002, according to a recent study by Yahoo Inc. and ACNielsen. Their Internet Confidence Index puts the confidence level at 111, down from 115 a year ago.
"The slight drop in Internet confidence compared to last year can likely be attributable to macro-economic issues such as the slumping economy," said Manjima Khandelwal, vice president of international research for ACNielsen. "The good news for the Internet community and e-tailers is that confidence levels remain relatively stable compared to other leading consumer related trends and indicators." The Internet Confidence Index uses a baseline of 100, the confidence level for June 2001, and is derived from computer-aided telephone interviews of randomly selected samples of 1,000 adults.
The current study notes that consumers with broadband web access are significantly more confident than consumers with dial-up access.
The study found that consumers in the western U.S. had a higher Q4 2002 confidence index, at 117, than a year earlier, at 114, as did consumers in the midwest, 110/106.
But confidence dropped among consumers in the northeast, 114/125, and in the south, 102/116.
Other index ratings, Q4 2002/Q42001:
-- Some college, 139/142
-- High school or less, 119/127
-- Men Internet users, 136/144
-- Women Internet users, 127/127
-- Ages 18-24, 133/130
-- Ages 25-34, 148/145
-- Ages 35-44, 136/140
-- Ages 45 and over, 123/131
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