Women lead online shopping surge

A report by Jupiter Media Matrix claims that the number of visitors to websites last week swelled to more than 52.3 million, over 53 per cent greater than last year.

According to Jupiter spokesman Charles Buchwalter, the internet had a Christmas holiday season much like traditional shops. "Many customers waited until late in the holiday season to make gift purchases and many were searching for late season discounts," he said.

Consumers seem to have increased confidence about the ability of online sites to deliver quickly.

Another survey, conducted by Pew Internet and the American Life Project, found that women are now the most prolific online shoppers, putting the figure at more than 58 per cent.

Pew Internet director Lee Rainie said that it was only a matter of time before women shoppers caught up with men. He believed that this was because women were the traditional shoppers in the household.

There is also evidence that some shoppers may be using the internet to compare prices online before purchasing on the High Street. Rainie claimed that this figure represents something like 40 per cent of traffic to a website.