Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - December 12, 2000, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free press 2000 b6 editor Julian Rachey 6977235 technology online checklist the retail Council of Canadas executive business advisory committee has issued a checklist of 10 tips to make shopping Over the internet easier and More enjoyable this Holiday season shop with retailers with trusted customer service representatives should be available throughout the order and delivery make your gift list before you log shop with companies you Are comfortable doing business look for retailers who provide added such As gift certify prompt delivery gift wrapping and gift find Sites that Are fun and easy to shopping is More enjoyable when Sites offer Clear Layouts and review Security and privacy look for a Security statement and privacy policy to ensure your information will be make sure the site is using encryption tech nolo and Loo for the lock Symbol when in the secure area of the use Sites that have a Clear returns review policies to ensure your gifts can be returned or exchanged if 8 buy Early to avoid Dis appointment when ordering for Holiday Purchase from Sites that recommend the Jast Day to Purchase in time for Christmas bookmark the site so you can find it should there be any questions or concerns about an shop on Estop shopping More and More canadians going online to wrap up Christmas gifts by Linda Rosborough Linda Rosborough John Goudie find what he was looking for while shop Ping so he created the product it was out of my own fru Stra said a former torontonian who recently moved to Vancouver and launched when i was shopping online i find Many Canadian every thing seemed to be in american dollars and then youre not even sure if till make it to to encourage Canadian Goudie set up a on Estop internet Portal for Canadian including links to retailers and More to related news and information goodies site has had hits since it was launched in an Indica of canadians growing interest in researchers predictions for online retail spending vary widely from million to billion the consensus is that whatever the Dollar canadians will be shopping on the internet More than Ever this Holiday sea canadians spent an estimated million in even the Low projection has us spending substantially More than last said Fred senior research Manger with probe which is compiling data from a Manitoba the retail Council of Canada wont weigh in with a but expects the outcome to fall within that million to billion Brand names certainly we agree there will be Good said Randy spokesman for the retail Scotland chalks that up to increase in Canadian retail Sites especially familiar Brand names like Canadian Eaton and the Hudson Bay company and canadians burgeoning internet according to a statistics Canada study last week on household internet an estimated million Canadian households have at least one family member who uses the internet canadians Are also using their internet connections for More than recreational the study pointed of the families with Home 19 per cent used the internet to buy goods and ser vices More than double the nine per cent reported two years there Are More people with internet Access in the Scotland More people Are Comfort Able with the internet and that has an Scotland said retail ers recognize that canadians want Sites that Are easy to Navi list items in Stock even the Low projection has us spending substantially More than last year Are up front about shipping costs and delivery in canadians prefer to shop Canadian out of but also to avoid shipping currency Exchange and customs has once Consumers take the plunge and feel secure about making an online they do it Scotland that Means online momentum is our studies show As More people have a satisfactory there More Likely to go Scotland nothing should go awry for the not a fad Canadian retailers realize that internet shopping is not a but a Scotland they Are developing Commerce Sites As an investment for the As another sell ing Channel to serve most shoppers Are comfortable blending their shopping methods Scotland retailers should consider Commerce Sites As a complement to catalogue and store he while much of the Money spent online this season will be Cash otherwise spent in malls and stores so called cannibalization some Sellers of Niche products Are cultivating new markets there Are a number of retailers who believe sales online Are Scot land its not cannibalizing the existing customer its Wall said that while Consumers Are gaining Confidence in the online presence of major they Are also attracted to unique or Hardt Oget items on the for through a land Lubber can order lobster and other seafood the combination of the ability to get Spe fun items plus the major retailers adds Wall Commerce can also be a Boon for people living in Rural areas with limited retail or for elderly and housebound shop pers who find it difficult to get for its the convenience that sold him on the idea of buying gifts on the inter you can do All your shopping online in a couple of evenings and not have to look for parking or fight Long he you can spend the rest of your time enjoying your shopping by the numbers Market research firm of group predicts 25 per cent of Canadian internet users will spend a total of million online this Holiday each person is expected to spend an average of Piso reids prediction for the if Tiv ing season is More modest Mil Pollara projects As much As billion to be spent by Canadian online All of the figures represent less than one per cent of Canadas total retail in november and december last canadians spent billion on retail sales excluding automotive sales at traditional Brickman mortar that was a record this the retail Council of Canada would it be surprised to see an increase of three or four per cent Over last Council spokesman Randy Scotland merchants typically generate about 40 per cent of their annual sales during the Holiday sources Canadian retail Council of Canada Survey shows world Oil inventories on the rebound by Bruce Stanley London mild autumn weather and a spurt in Petroleum output from non open sources have helped replenish global Oil inventories and contribute to an easing of crude a widely read Survey said last months fall in prices came in spite of Iraq suspension of million barrels of daily crude Price movement that suggested Oil markets were Well the International Energy Agency said in its monthly the Agency warned that the danger still exists of a Winter eruption in prices for crude Oil and refined products such As heating who can accurately predict the weather said the set up by the organization for economic cooperation and As if to underscore its crude futures prices rebounded yesterday after declining during the previous taking a Cue from the Natur Al Gas which has soared to severe cold in much of the United blizzards in the american with Snow As far South As helped crude prices Bounce analysts so too did comments from Kuwait and Venezuela that the organization of Petro Leum exporting countries might need to slash output Early next year to keep Oil prices from i think the markets been looking for a said Peter head of the Petroleum desk at Salomon Smith Barney in now it May be com ing up to find a More appropriate the Iea report noted that world Oil production Rose by barrels a Day last or almost one per to million this offered com fort to importing inventories in the worlds largest economies increased per cent to billion the Agency adding that inventories were still Low by com Parison with the previous four stocks Are but this does not mean they have returned to comfortable it they have world Oil production surged last month due entirely to greater volumes from North America and the North in particular from Mexico and specs output fell by barrels a Iraq output dropped by barrels a Day in More than offsetting increases by saudi Arabia and the Iea Iraq suspended Oil exports at the end of november in a dispute with the in sanctions committee Over its pricing pol the committee approved a new Price formula for Iraq on removing an obstacle to the resumption of iraqi press ;