Shop.org is out with its annual State of Retailing Online, and the belief is that positive results during 2008 indicate that this year is likely to be a good one as well.
According to the survey, online retailers adjusted to the economy in a variety of different ways. Nine in ten retailers (91 percent) focused on preserving margins, while 88 percent of retailers amplified promotions or increased “value” messaging. Slightly more than half of retailers (53 percent) lowered prices as a result of the economy. And, one-third of online retailers (33 percent) said they increased market share during the downturn.
And, Shop.org says, “Four out of five online retailers (80 percent) believe the U.S economy will improve within the next year, and half (50 percent) think their web business will actually fare better than expected in the next 12 months. That said, retailers are being cautious internally: even though the overall sentiment about online retail is strong, thirty-eight percent said that they have actually lowered expectations around the Web business, even though the overall sentiment about the channel is strong.”
According to the survey, online retailers adjusted to the economy in a variety of different ways. Nine in ten retailers (91 percent) focused on preserving margins, while 88 percent of retailers amplified promotions or increased “value” messaging. Slightly more than half of retailers (53 percent) lowered prices as a result of the economy. And, one-third of online retailers (33 percent) said they increased market share during the downturn.
And, Shop.org says, “Four out of five online retailers (80 percent) believe the U.S economy will improve within the next year, and half (50 percent) think their web business will actually fare better than expected in the next 12 months. That said, retailers are being cautious internally: even though the overall sentiment about online retail is strong, thirty-eight percent said that they have actually lowered expectations around the Web business, even though the overall sentiment about the channel is strong.”
- KC's View:
