FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2003 Mike Bergman CB03-50 Public Information Office (301) 763-3030/457-3670 (fax) (301) 457-1037 (TDD) e-mail: pio@census.gov Quotes and radio sound bites E-Stats Track the 'Clicks' and 'Bricks' Online Sales, Shipments Outperform Total Economic Activity in Most Industries Measured by Census Bureau Online economic activity outperformed total economic activity in three of four major economic sectors measured between 2000 and 2001, according to new information on the nation's e-commerce released today by the Commerce Department's Census Bureau. Online retail sales grew 22 percent while total retail sales grew only 3 percent. Online sales by merchant wholesalers grew 12 percent while their total sales actually declined 1 percent. E-shipments in manufacturing also fared better than total shipments between 2000 and 2001, with e-commerce declining only 4 percent, compared with a 6 percent decline in total manufacturing shipments. And, in the fourth sector covered in the report, a group of selected service industries'e-revenues did not change significantly, while total revenues grew 2 percent. The report noted that while business-to-consumer activity is the focus of much public attention, 93 percent of e-commerce is business-to-business. The E-Stats report covers the value of goods and services sold online, whether over open networks such as the Internet or proprietary networks such as Electronic Data Interchange. The report also revises previously released data for 2000. Other highlights: - The travel reservation industry generated nearly one-fourth of its total revenue online during 2001. - In manufacturing, e-shipments of computer and electronic equipment declined by 6 percent ($5 billion), while total shipments fell by 16 percent ($81 billion). - Merchant wholesalers' online growth was particularly strong in drugs, drug proprietaries and druggists' sundries, where online sales grew 24 percent ($19 billion) and total sales grew 20 percent ($33 billion). - Nonstore retailers -- businesses ranging from television shopping networks to Internet shopping sites -- accounted for 75 percent ($26 billion) of online retail sales, a growth of 21 percent between 2000 and 2001. - In the electronic shopping and mail-order houses industry, three merchandise groups were the major source of the strong growth in e-sales: furniture and home finishings grew 70 percent; clothing and clothing accessories, 56 percent; and office equipment and supplies, 37 percent. Total sales fell in all three groups. - In the services sector, the securities and commodity contracts intermediation and brokerage industries saw a 37 percent decline ($2 billion), while total revenues fell 13 percent ($37 billion). - Information sector service industries experienced strong growth in e-revenues, which grew 12 percent ($1 billion), while total revenues rose 3 percent ($24 billion).
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