It appears the Internet is going to play a significant factor in this year's holiday shopping season, especially on Black Friday, according to eMarketer.
"Black Friday is losing its significance as an in-store shopping event," said Jeffrey Grau, a senior analyst at the firm. "Savvy consumers, knowing that retailers are posting some of their best Black Friday deals online, will shop the Web on Black Friday from the comfort of their homes rather than rise early to face crowded stores."
Another research firm, RIS, agrees. According to an RIS study, 46.7 percent of U.S. retail executives expect online sales growth of more than 10 percent this holiday season, while 23.3 percent expect revenues to expand 1 percent to 4 percent.
"The same bargain-hunting attitude adopted during the past two holiday seasons is likely to define shopping behavior again this year," said Grau. "Consumers will go online to find coupons, compare prices on shopping engines and research items, even if they plan to buy them in-store."
