Online Retail Shopping a Growing Trend Amoungst Men

The male hunter-gatherer instinct could be helping to boost online sales as men look to limit the amount of time they spend in bricks-and-mortar stores.

Don Davis, editor of online marketing resource Internet Retailer, explains that the internet is seen by many as a means of researching products whether they intend to buy them via the web or from a physical store.

He says that some retailers are seeing this as a growing trend in the current economic environment, as are some manufacturers of consumer goods - although other forces are also at work in encouraging online shopping.

Mr Davis adds that the pattern could strengthen in the coming months if the recession drives real-world retailers out of business, as the internet may be seen as an alternative as choice in city centres and out-of-town shopping malls diminishes.

While online retail is a global industry, he points to consumer sentiment in the US as a driving force behind increasing web-based sales.

According to Mr Davis, greater optimism among US consumers about the future of their economy is leading to more money being spent on internet shopping.

This is helping to drive the sector onwards despite it never having experienced a "wrenching fall-off-the-cliff" in the manner of physical retail.