RYE BROOK, N.Y.–Consumers surveyed for the eBillme Online Spending Index said they would spend an average of $281 online during the fourth quarter—up 24 percent over the third quarter and the first quarterly increase in this indicator this year.
Conducted by Javelin Strategy & Research for eBillme, the survey queried 1,200 consumers about their expectations for online spending and the influencing factors. This result indicates that consumers are feeling somewhat more optimistic, although they are still cautious about their spending habits, according to Marwan Forzley, president and chief executive officer of eBillme, an online payment service.
“While consumers are planning to loosen their financial constraints this quarter, they are still holding on to recession spending habits,” Forzley said in an eBillme statement. “This includes changing the way they shop and pay to better control debt.”
The survey also found that 11 percent of consumers plan to do most of their holiday spending on Cyber Monday (the Monday after Thanksgiving), while 48 percent plan to avoid Black Friday shopping in favor of online purchases.