As more shoppers avoid "brick and mortar holiday shopping torture"  by using the internet, the convenience factor of shopping online is pointing to an increase in self-gifting and overall spending.  (see chart below)

Although there is a slight decrease predicted in spending this year ($705 vs $720 last year), there should be an increase in online shopping and overall internet purchases. For merchants, it is more important than ever to have an online presence to find those customers online who are becoming more comfortable using an online shopping cart and making pu

According to an article from Kurzweil News, Google has begun roll out their Wallet app on the Sprint network to all Sprint Nexus S 4G phones with plans for more phones and possible other wireless networks in the future. 

More and more consumers are using social media as well as their mobile devices to shop for items before they purchase.  In an article on Internet Retailer, consumers are turning to social websites as well as site like Gooogle Shopper to find pricing for products before they purchase.

The recent numbers show just how much people are embracing the internet and using e-commerce to buy goods and services.*  The  online shopping halo effect of all those smart phones and smart tablets purchased since Christmas that augment “traditional cyber sales”, (desktop, laptop), are starting to show an up-tick in consumer use.  As Marketers and merchants continue to make the online shopping experience better and easier, more consumes will undoubtedly switch to this mobile environment.  -jdognet

*February e-commerce spending jumps 13.2%Sales increased by a double-digit rate for the fourth month in a row, MasterCard says.

Stefany Moore

Topics: bricks-and-mortar stores, consumer electronics, e-commerce spending, gas prices, John Gamel, MasterCard,MasterCard Advisors, online apparel sales, online jewelry sales,SpendingPulse

 Shoppers spent $13.8 billion online in February, a 13.2% year-over-year increase, according to an estimate released today by MasterCard Advisors, the credit card company’s consulting arm.  Consumers spent $13.1 billion online in January.

February is the fourth consecutive month with double-digit online spending increases.  Plus, customers spent more money online in February this year than February last year in every category measured except department stores, MasterCard says, though the payment card network did not release figures for all categories.

The SpendingPulse unit uses surveys and data from its credit and debit card network to estimate all retail transactions. Increasing gas prices and unseasonably cold weather prompted many customers to stay at home to do their shopping in February, boosting web sales, says SpendingPulse analyst John Gamel.  “Not only are online sales doing well, e-retailers are stealing channel share from the bricks-and-mortar stores,” he says.  “One thing to watch is gasoline prices.  If they rise much higher, that will definitely help online sales even more.”

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The online apparel category continued to top the list of high performers in e-commerce, but the growth rate for the category is slowing down, SpendingPulse finds.  Online apparel spending increased 15% year over year in February, compared with an average year-over-year increase of 26.9% in the fourth quarter of 2010.  Gamel blames at least part of the decline in the growth rate on the online apparel market maturing.

Meanwhile, online jewelry sales increased 7.2% year over year in February following a 9.2% decline in January. Online electronics sales increased 5.4%, the category’s sixth straight month of growth. “Online electronics sales, unlike the total electronics sales, are still in positive territory,” he says.