November 4, 2009
By the ZippyCart Shopping Carts Content Team
For retailers and consumers, the benefits of the online shopping experience are becoming more apparent as ecommerce sales are expected to climb this holiday season. Forrester Research Inc reported that they predict online sales will increase by 8% or $3.3 billion compared to the prior year. It is so convenient and cost effective for consumers to browse all of their favorite online stores from their home that it is not surprising to see that sales are expected to rise. Last year was the worst performing year in roughly 40 years for total holiday sales as consumers were very cautious with their money during the economic crisis of 2008. Total holiday sales are expected to be down by about 1% which reemphasizes the strength and importance of online shopping during rough economic times. Current economic conditions are much better than the prior year, but there is still significant room for improvement as many people are still unemployed.
Consumers, by default, are becoming better and more savvier online shoppers by looking for the best coupon code or overall discount so they can get the best price for every item that they purchase. Another common trend is for consumers to downgrade some of the most common purchases by utilizing a different retailer to get a similar brand for a better price. The trend of smarter and more budget conscious online shoppers can only continue to increase because of how easy it is in the world of ecommerce. There are so many websites that specialize in helping you becoming a better online shopper by providing you with coupon search engines, price alert tools, and discount information. Black Friday will be a great indicator this year of how many more people are jumping on the online shopping bandwagon so they can get the best possible holiday deals.
Amy is the co-founder of ZippyCart. She went to school for film in Cleveland, Ohio and ended up working in the field of viral video marketing, which eventually led her to her real profession: SEO. When she's not writing for ZippyCart, she can be found out and about Seattle, WA.
