The great internet "flop" is still gravely etched in the imagination, yet notwithstanding the stock market setbacks of a few years ago ecommerce has been making steady progress. According to Emarketer, average on line expenditure in the US grew by 25 per cent in 2001, 15 per cent in 2003 and is expected to advance a further 12 per cent this year.
In Europe, Forrester Research disclosed in February that 60 per cent of the UK's adult population is on the "net" at least once a month, while the figures for Germany (59 per cent), Italy (45 per cent), France (41 per cent) and Spain (29 per cent) also suggest the medium is gaining in popularity. http://www.ebfonline.com/main_feat/in_depth/in_depth.asp?id=489