It’s an e-life as consumers’ online and offline activities integrate

As e-commerce continues to grow at the rate of about 25% per year, consumers are spending more money—and more time—online. And as the Internet penetrates people’s lives more, retailers need to expand their thinking on the true value of online consumers to their business, according to John Miniati, vice president, retail, comScore Networks Inc.

Under the phenomenon of what comScore calls “e-life”—the sum of consumers` online activity and how it affects their activities offline as well—the Internet is now a valid window into the preferences of consumers both offline and online. Miniati will speak on the topic at at the Internet Retailer 2006 Conference & Exhibition in presentation called “Who’s Online and How Do You Reach Them?” “Retailers who consider only the online value of their online consumers are undervaluing them,” he says.

Miniati notes, for example, that though search generates about 20% of all e-commerce, it plays a part in as many as 60% to 90% of all offline sales, depending on the category. Other online tools—maps, shopping engines and local search—also are driving offline sales. In his presentation, Miniati will share the latest trends in consumers’ “e-life,” to help retailers better understand and leverage the full opportunity of the online channel.