FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2003


Mike Bergman                                       CB03-50
Public Information Office                                             
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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).