US online shoppers expected to spend $39 billion this Christmas

New York (NY) – If JupiterResearch is right, American online stores can look forward to yet another hefty increase in etail revenues this year. Christmas time will bring more than $39 billion in sales, the market research firm said.

JupiterResearch believes that more than 126 million Americans, 6% more than last year, will buy products online this year, increasing the sales volume by 20% over 2006. The battle for customers already has begun with shops implementing marketing strategies ranging from search engine marketing as well as discount programs.

"Over half of online retailers say they will increase efforts with search engines, despite rising costs and some reports of declining ROI. Shoppers can also expect to take advantage of more free shipping offers this year," said Patti Freeman Evans, senior analyst at JupiterResearch. "This enticement will also translate to online retailers with brick-and-mortar stores who will likely to beef up their use of percent-off discounts.”

JupiterResearch expects percent-off discounts to especially surface at computer and consumer electronic sellers