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To: Glenn D. Rudolph who wrote (63191)	6/17/1999 10:15:00 PM
From: GST	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 164685

Thursday June 17, 9:52 pm Eastern Time Women using the Internet more; online shopping gains By Yukari Iwatani SAN FRANCISCO, June 17 (Reuters) - Two surveys of online users released on Thursday showed healthy increases in Internet use and online shopping, especially by women, as the number of people online in the United States and Canada grew to 92 million. According to results of a survey done in April by CommerceNet and Nielson Media Research, the number of Internet users aged 16 and older in the United States and Canada increased 16 percent in the nine-month period, from 79 million. At the same time, the number of online consumers jumped 40 percent to 28 million. ''The new Internet Demographics study reveals that women are now the driving force in the growth of Internet buying,'' the firms said. They noted that 46 percent of North American Internet users are women, up from 43 percent in June 1998. Moreover, 60 percent of Internet users, or 55 million people, regularly shop online, the survey found, although ''shopping'' often meant ''window shopping,'' with actual purchases made offline. ''Those people that are shopping online are making their decision and then going out and completing their transaction in more traditional ways,'' said Loel McPhee, director of strategic picture partnership at CommerceNet. McPhee, who spoke at the WebAttack Internet marketing conference, sponsored by Iconocast, an e-mail newsletter for marketers, added that window shopping was a good way for first-time Internet consumers to ease into e-commerce. However, the survey also found an 80 percent increase in the number of women who had purchased goods online. Compared with men, who most often purchase cars and computers, respectively, online, women buy books, CDs, computers and clothing, in that order, the survey found. CommerceNet and Nielsen Media Research have conducted demographic and e-commerce studies of the Internet since 1995. A second study, whose preliminary results were released at the conference by Newsweek magazine, found that 78 percent of the 5,000 people surveyed said they have made purchases online in past 12 months, and 42 percent have encouraged family and friends to make purchases online. ''That to me really says the fear is gone and acceptance is here,'' said Michael Rogers, editor and general manager of Newsweek.com. However, he noted that 82 percent of the respondents said they have more trust in sites sponsored by established brands than in relatively new or unknown sites. ''There is a new mainstream audience coming along that brings old values and new values to the Web,'' said Rogers. The full Newsweek study will be released next week at the PC Expo conference in New York.