Women overtake men as the internet's top shoppers
By Matthew Beard
17 February 2004
The Independent
http://news.independent.co.uk/digital/news/story.jsp?story=492116
Women's enthusiasm for shopping on the high street has finally transferred
to the internet, according to a study published yesterday.
For the first time in e-tailing history, women are spending more than men
with an average annual outlay of about £500.
The market analysis firm Verdict, which conducted the research into the
purchase of goods online, found spending by women rose last year six times
faster than that of men. In the early days of the internet men were more
frequent users and made most of the purchases, especially electrical items
such as hi-fi and computers.
Nick Gladding, a senior analyst at Verdict, said: "We are seeing the
maturing of the internet. Women are generally more enthusiastic shoppers
than men. The patterns of the high street are being repeated online as
people get better at using their computers."
Women shoppers spent £495 online last year, a rise of 71.4 per cent on 2002.
That rise was six times higher than for men who spent on average £470.
Verdict says that while male shoppers, who account for 53.7 per cent of
sales, still outnumber women, the balance is about to switch. Women already
spend more than men on groceries, furniture, beauty, clothing, and books.
The Verdict study found that online sales in Britain last year rose by 36.1
per cent to £4.9bn - 10 times faster than for total retail spending,
accounting for 1.9 per cent of the retail market.
The research also revealed that online sales are surging thanks to the
"silver surfer". People over 55 have "flooded online" in the past year and
now spend more than £527 per head especially on groceries, electrical goods
and DIY. "Many more affluent pensioners have adopted the internet as a hobby
and enjoy surfing the net for good deals," the report says.
Convenience has overtaken price as the main reason for shopping online, and
fears over online security have diminished with half as many respondents to
the survey citing it as a problem compared with a year ago. Online retailers
have greatly improved site security in terms of technology and in educating
consumers about how to protect their payment details.
As online demand matures, Verdict forecasts further gains by mass-market
online superstores such as Amazon, Argos and Tesco, the world's largest
online grocer.
The rapid expansion of fast broadband internet access and the introduction
of 3G phones will contribute to an expected threefold increase in online
sales by 2008 to £14.5bn, or almost £1 in every £20 spent on retail.
Most popular sites for women 
Tesco.com
Sainsbury.co.uk
Next.co.uk
Boots.com
Argos.co.uk
Source: Verdict 

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