To understand a real value of web marketing we should analyze statistic about online shoppers and retail sales in United States. As primary source we used book ”Marketing. The Core” edition by Roger A. Kerin, Steven W. Hartley, and William Rudelius. These trends will help us to find how web consumers have changed their shopping behavior, needs, and spending.

Trend in Internet shoppers in the United States.

Online Shoppers in the United States (millions)

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% of US population who shop online

  Amount of people who shop online grow every year. Predicted increase of US shoppers in 2008 will be 2% (8 000 000 people). We can compare this number with population in Austria. Young people, immigrants, laggards (people who adopt new things slow)… all this people will make their web purchase in 2008.

Online retail sales revenue in the United States ($ billions)

Using this graph it is important to point the most important factors:

 •  In 2008 average shopper in US will spend $1800 online. It is $625 more than 5 years ago.
 •  Internet retail sales revenue in 2008 will increase twice comparing with 2004.
 •  Revenue will increase 640% comparing with the year 2000.
 •  69% online consumers… it is almost every adult in US. Other 31% include kids, and people who are not able to use internet (disabilities, age, religion belief etc).

Estimated % of online sales by product/service category in 2003 and 2008.

 

Looking on the last trend we can see:

• Food / beverage are the fastest growing industry in the web. People and investors did not trusted online food industry after Kozmo and Webvan (food delivery) companies went bankruptcy during dot-com bubble. It took a long time to recover and now food / beverage sales and delivery are coming back. This type of service again became popular with college students and office clerks. Online grocery coupons run Internet food industry as well, printers became more affordable for many people who love to save on grocery shopping. Moreover, small business owners finally realized convenience of having a website.
• Luxury goods sales increased almost twice in 5 years. Another proof that people don’t afraid anymore to spend big money using Internet.
• For those who spam the web with Viagra I would like to point on the fact that sales in health industry remain the same. Those who already became a leader in online health industry don’t want to give up positions. For people who are looking for “easy money” I will recommend to start pizza delivery service…
• Decrease in travel industry could be explained easy. Most people travel once a year and they will spend for travelling in 2008 the same money like they spent in 2003.