Gippsland Portal Local News:
E-Commerce Is On The Rise

Latest report indicates sales are on the up

By Emma Kae - 11th June 2002 - Back to News

•Tell us your opinion •See what others have said

Newly released statistics indicate that the use of e-commerce remains on the rise. Although the figures relate directly to e-commerce sales in America, the report may be considered an indication of the global acceptance and widespread useage of the Internet to purchase products and services.

The U.S. Government report states that retail e-commerce sales for the first quarter of this year were an estimated $9.849 billion, rising 19 percent from the first quarter 2001, but unsurprisingly down from 2001's holiday season fourth quarter estimate of $11.2 billion. These figures, for some reason, do not include estimation for expenditure on some popular online purchases, such as airline and concert tickets and spending at online brokerages.

The figures from the Commerce Department's Census Bureau are based on a survey of about 11,000 retailers.

Total retail sales for the first quarter were estimated at $743.8 billion, so e-commerce represented about 1.3 percent of total sales, up from about 1.1 percent of the total in the first quarter of 2001. Click here to read the report for yourself.

Please note: the Census Bureau defines e-commerce sales as sales of goods and services where an order is placed by the buyer or price and terms of sale are negotiated over an Internet, extranet, Electronic Data Interchange network, electronic mail, or other online system. Payment may or may not be made online.

The rise in the success of e-commerce is very encouraging, not least for the e-commerce businesses within the Gippsland region. Shop locally online with the Gippsland Portal:

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

If you are the author of this story you can edit it by clicking here

Note: To start the discussion you will have to login with your member account.