Gas Prices Are High, Shopping From Home Grows

Fayetteville, NC, March 07,2008--Fewer cars will be seen on theroads and in the Mall parking lots this spring and summer as a result of soaringfuel prices and the explosion of eCommerce alternatives predicts Byron Keaton, aMarketing Analyst with AIT, (www.AIT.com/?pdkw=pr-ecommerc e-prp-03-06-2008) . Moreand more people are driving less and shopping from the comfort and security of theirhomes than ever before. With average prices at the pump above $3 a gallon, fillingup is causing American consumers increasing pain in the pocketbook says NPR s ScottHorsley. According to an ABC News poll, Americans are not just dissatisfied withthe cost of gasoline, a sizable number are downright angry about it. And they mightget madder still: Many are cutting back elsewhere in order to keep paying at thepump, and if prices hit $3 per gallon long-term, more than six in 10 say they'llhave to reduce their driving.

So what effect will this have on the overall store and retail shopping? A Dow JonesMarket Watch article explains: Shopping online helps cut gas costs that would beaccrued shuttling to and from the mall. Of course, all of this doesn't necessarilymean that these online shoppers will spend less. "I wouldn't be surprised if theyend up spending the same amount, but getting more for their dollar," said BruceWeinberg, marketing and ecommerce professor at Bentley College in Waltham, Mass. It's like going to a happy hour when appetizers are half price, but deciding to buytwo appetizers instead of one because it's such a deal , he said.

According to a new e-Marketer report, US retail e-commerce sales are expected toreach $243.5 Billion by 2011. This year, 117 million people, or two-thirds ofInternet users, will make at least one purchase online, with the average buyerspending $1,123.

So what does all this mean for the small business owner? Opportunity. Web Hostingcompany AIT (www.AIT.com/?pdkw=pr-ecommerc e-prp-03-06-2008) a TopHosts.com # 1ranked hosting company, has made it easy for entrepreneurs to capture their share ofthe growing online purchasing market. AIT has eCommerce packages that include allthe essential platforms to launch an instant online business, including gateways andmerchant accounts, shopping carts, point-of-sale systems, and a bevy of hostingplans to meet every budget from individual to Enterprise.

To get started or to simply compare plans, just visit:http://www.ait.com/ecom merce.php/?pdkw=pr-ecommerce-p rp-03-06-2008 or call1-800-878- 4084 and let a knowledgeable sales consultant help guide you towardestablishing a digital storefront with a global market. Get started today and yourfirst months fee for Gateway Services is only $10. And to help promote your newonline presence, tyBit Inc., an AIT affiliate company, is giving a free advertisingcredit for every new subscriber who signs up. This is a tremendous savings for astart-up business or an existing business to help increase brand awareness andmarket share. tyBit is a powerful new client-side search application that alsoallows local businesses to get their message in a local marketplace. tyBit deliversresults based on the location of the user and provides a shop feature that willdisplay images of products, provide a description and also compare prices. tyBit shops all the shopping sites , said Al Whitfield, Vice President for Marketing atAIT.

AIT is home to over 210,000 customers to include Fortune 500 companies as well assmall businesses. AIT was founded in North Carolina and has grown into amultimillion dollar web hosting and technology company. Clients like Time Warner,Microsoft, Newsweek, U.S. Federal Government, PC World, United Nations, BusinessWeek, The Oakridge Boys, State of North Carolina, Department of Defense, Wall StreetJournal, ZDNet, Pizza Hut, GOODYEAR, Smart Money, Discover Radio, and many more havebenefited from AIT's products and services. The company has been named 2 times tothe INC. 500 list of fastest growing firms and 3 times to the Deloitte & Touche Fast500 list.Press release distribution by PressReleasePoint(http://www.p ressreleasepoint.com/).

Source:1-800-878-4084sales @ait.com

Source: Express-Press-Release.com

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