Online purchases for consumable goods will reach $120 billion by 2005,
according to newly released data from an Internet research study.
Collectively, consumables shoppers account for a majority of online purchase
transactions (58 percent of items purchased, 56 percent of purchase dollars),
according to ActivMedia Research.
The study
looked at past year shopping patterns among
a number of consumable products purchased repetitively in categories such as
Health &
Healthcare, Health & Beauty items, Pharmaceuticals, Food & Supplies,
Groceries & Household Supplies, Gourmet Foods & Beverages and Pet Supplies.
ActivMedia estimates the total dollar amount spent online in
business-to-consumer (B-to-C) retail purchases will grow to over $2 trillion
by 2005.
New product categories like consumables are blossoming online as the industry
strives to build out capacity for home delivery of items such as groceries,
while easily shippable cosmetics, vitamins and pet supplies are essentially a
mail-order business built on convenience today.
The majority of people coming online recently are mainstream shoppers, and
research findings reveal that they bring mainstream interests with them.
As a
result, there is ample reason to anticipate that growth in the consumable
category will outpace growth of current Net businesses as capacity becomes
available to provide delivery service, the report says.
“Areas within consumables that will certainly mushroom online over the coming
10 years are Groceries and Home Supplies,” said Harry Wolhandler, vice
president of research at ActivMedia.
“As delivery systems in major
metropolitan areas continue to move convenience closer to the customer’s door
without substantially greater expense, acceptance of home delivery will
become widespread.”
ActivMedia’s “Consumable Products: Building Consumer Loyalty Online” study
addresses how to grow online Consumable business, cement consumer loyalty,
and develop strategies for success.