The shift to online shopping

Consumer attitudes toward online shopping have made a major swing since last year, says a new a Goldman Sachs/PC Data study. Respondents to the survey said they plan to buy 38% of their gifts online, 47% in traditional shopping venues and 15% through catalogs. A year ago, 62% were shopping in stores, 25% were buying online and 13% from catalogs. "Slowly but surely, a migration toward web shopping is occurring," said Cameron Meierhoefer, Internet analyst for PC Data. For those who chose the web over stores, the top motivation to shop online is to avoid crowds (63.5%), 52% believe it is "easier to compare products and prices online," 45% are attracted by "access to wider selection of products and 34% cited lower prices as the prime reason for shopping online.