Dashing Through the Online Snow

Online shoppers are shifting their interests, reveals a survey by (www.dash.com) Dash.com, a mobile shopping assistant that travels around the Web with consumers. Based on purchases made by more than 125,000 Dash members during the Thanksgiving weekend, the survey shows that the growth in new categories caused traditional categories such as books to fall behind grabbing only 3% of total purchases.
     Home and garden supplies took in 12% of consumer online purchases as well as children's sites, which garnered 11% of sales for the same period. However, the clear leaders were the online department and superstores with 27% of shoppers' purchases. These results, the survey indicates, show that consumers still feel most comfortable when they can translate their offline behavior to the Web, such as shopping at big, branded retailers that offer a variety of merchandise.
     In addition, the survey notes that music and movies continue to be popular categories with 16% of Dash members making purchases in these segments.