More People Shop Online Due To Rising Oil Prices
By Anna Johnson on August 1st, 2008A June 2008 survey by Nielsen Online reveals that 11 percent of U.S. consumers are shopping more on the Internet as a result of rising oil prices.
This is the latest in a line of consumer surveys indicating that more people are choosing to buy, and buy more, online due to increasing gas costs.
In January, a study by Vertis Communications found that around 13 percent of U.S. adults were buying more online due to gas prices. In April, Piper Jaffray found that over 50 percent of consumers saw rising gas prices as an incentive to buy more online. And an April survey by iCongo found that 33 percent of consumers were shopping more on the Internet due to increasing fuel costs.
In turn, sales have slumped in traditional retail outlets and malls. Meanwhile, retailers that sell both in “bricks and mortar” stores and online have seen their online sales increase as their off-line store sales have declined.
Sources: eMarketer, “Gas Prices Boost E-Commerce”, July 25, 2008, eMarketer
