The sounds of holiday shopping usually include cash registers chiming and a department store Santa ho-ho-ho-ing — but now, they also include the click of a mouse.
The last few years’ battle between online and in-person shopping continues in 2001 in a holiday season during an economic downturn. University students and an e-commerce expert said there are benefits and pitfalls to both methods of shopping.
“This (holiday season), e-commerce is just plain taking off,” said Carla Meeske, an adjunct marketing instructor at the University. “Finally, businesses got their act together. Sites load fast, and checkout goes more smoothly.”
Consumers can buy just about anything on the Internet these days, Meeske said, adding that the most popular items people buy online include books, toys, music, videos, electronics, clothing and shoes.
In order to win the hearts of die-hard mall shoppers, Meeske said online businesses should tailor their shopping procedures to mirror traditional in-store shopping as closely as possible.
“The Web site has to do a really good job describing what (the product) is and why you should buy it,” Meeske said.
One Web site that has been successful in connecting people to the goods they want is the online auction site www.eBay.com, Meeske said. She said eBay is the sixth-most popular site on the World Wide Web, just ahead of the search engine www.google.com.
The reason eBay is so popular, Meekse said, is that anyone can find anything at the site — it’s like “a giant flea market,” Meekse said.
Freshman art major Kathleen Sullivan said she sees eBay as more of a thrift store than a flea market.
“eBay seems kind of sketchy,” Sullivan said. “The (products) are used, and you buy them from someone else, not a company.”

Fear of spam
Sullivan’s concerns regarding the security of transactions mirror those that have been a concern among online shoppers in the past. But, Meeske said, security has become less of an issue, and privacy concerns have become more prevalent.
“Overall, people are much less concerned this year (than they have been in past years),” Meeske said. “Now, businesses are the ones afraid. There’s a huge rate of people using fraudulent cards online, and these businesses lose out.”
Sophomore physics major Alex Lowe said although he hasn’t ever bought anything online, he would be willing to give it a try.
“I hear online shopping is just as safe — if not safer — than store shopping,” Lowe said.
Meeske said common fears in Internet transactions involve lack of privacy, not security. She said some people have specific fears when giving out personal information while shopping online: They are apprehensive of physical harm from being tracked online, they may be worried about someone stealing their identity, or they may fear getting loads of “spam,” or Internet junk mail.
“People are careful about giving out their information,” Meeske said.
The federal anti-terrorism bill that passed last month has given the government greater power to monitor citizens’ Internet activities, Meeske said. Those expanded powers shouldn’t be a concern for online consumers, but just something to keep in mind, she said.
“Unless you’re buying bomb
supplies, you’re not going to be affected,” she said.

The mall habit
Though online shopping has the benefit of convenience and selection, some students still would rather brave the busy malls this December.
Senior psychology major Andy Jones said he enjoys the in-person experience.
“I like going to the mall — especially this time of year,” Jones said.
While Lowe said he isn’t opposed to shopping online, he also prefers shopping in person for holiday gifts.
“I like to buy things I can actually touch,” Lowe said.
Sullivan said although she has been satisfied with the books and clothing she has bought online, people should use their own eyes to select holiday gifts.
“With going to the mall, you can see what you’re buying before you get it,” Sullivan said. “In a picture (on a Web site) everything looks great — but when you get (the product), it may not look as good.”
Jones said online shopping is only useful for those people who have their gift lists set in stone.
“I might use online shopping for holiday gifts if I knew what I was going to buy,” Jones said. “I just have an easier time going out and looking (in person) for gifts.”
Meeske said that in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, some people may be less likely to frequent crowded shopping centers.
“Online shopping is incredibly convenient,” Meeske said. “You don’t have to drive around or do all that crap you’d have to do in the stores.”
No matter where individuals spend their money this holiday season — at the mall or on the Internet — Meeske said e-commerce has returned, and predicted it will only continue to grow.
“When all the dot-coms started dropping out, it looked pretty bad for e-commerce,” Meeske said. “We saw it smoldering a year ago, but like a phoenix it’s rising from the flames. I think we’re going to see continued massive growth in e-commerce.”