Sunnyvale, California – (The Hosting News) – November 16, 2005 – Yahoo! Small
Business has comissioned a new survey which reveals that eight out of ten
holiday shoppers (83 percent) said they would shop for holiday gifts online, and
a similar number, 80 percent, said they are likely to purchase gifts online from
small businesses.

The survey was conducted by Harris Interactive. With leading marketing research firms predicting a significant increase in online shopping this holiday season, the Yahoo! Small Business survey results are further evidence of strong support among consumers for e-commerce with small businesses.

Nearly a third (30 percent) of holiday shoppers polled said they will do at least half of their holiday shopping online. In addition, nearly two thirds of holiday shoppers (63 percent) said online specialty or ‘niche’ retailers are the “best places” to shop for unusual or hard-to-find gifts.

The survey was conducted nationwide with 1,813 U.S. online adults who plan to do holiday gift shopping. The survey results are being released in advance of the peak holiday shopping season. The survey, conducted in late October, measured sentiment among the general online adult population about holiday shopping online. Results from the survey suggest that holiday shoppers look to small online retailers for unique, distinctive gift items, and a large majority would be likely to buy gifts online from small businesses.

According to Rich Riley, Vice President and General Manager of Yahoo! Small Business, ”Holiday shoppers are ready and willing to buy gifts online from small businesses that offer variety and value. The survey results are an encouraging confirmation that small business e-commerce has become an integral part of the holiday shopping experience for many consumers.”

Nearly four out of five holiday shoppers (79 percent) said they would change their shopping habits if gas prices remain high or climb higher during the holiday buying season. Asked how they might change, many shoppers indicated they would be on the road less and on the web more:

Make fewer shopping outings, but plan better to reduce

 unnecessary use of gas                                            45%

Shop online more                                                   43%

Make fewer shopping trips and spend less in general                42%

Shop at stores closer to home                                      38%

Make as many shopping trips as before, but spend less money to

 make up for increased gas costs                                    4%

Other                                                               2%

Additional survey results include:

Nearly three in five holiday shoppers (59 percent) said it was important that their favorite specialty or gift stores have an online presence. Seventy percent said they had no preference between shopping online with small versus large businesses. But shoppers did express their opinions about what they considered to be the “best places” to shop for unusual gifts:

Online specialty, niche, or boutique retailers    63%

Small specialty retail stores in my area          45%

Mail order catalog retailers                      39%

Large chain or department stores                  25%

Other                                              9%

Not sure                                           8%

Shoppers stated that the key reasons they would shop for holiday gifts online with small businesses include convenient hours, avoiding crowded parking lots and the ability to find just the right gift, while fewer see low prices as a key factor:

Ability to shop anytime (day or night)                             75%

Avoiding crowded parking lots and long lines at malls and

 shopping centers                                                  68%

Better selection of unique, hard to find gifts                     60%

Easier to find personalized, distinctive gifts                     53%

Convenience in having gifts shipped to out-of-town friends and

 family                                                            40%

Past experience — reliable service in previous online holiday

 shopping                                                          40%

Better value, low prices                                           36%

Other                                                               5%

Greg Sterling an analyst with Kelsey Group added, ”These data confirm that small business retailers need to be in front of online consumers as they use the Internet to shop for products during the hectic holiday season. Consumers clearly want what small retailers have to offer and those who can’t be found online are missing a significant potential opportunity.”

To learn more about Yahoo! Small Business, please visit: target=_blank>http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com.

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