Irish people spent over €2 billion online last year, according to a new survey.
The research shows €2.13 billion was spent on purchases from internet sites in 2009, with the average Irish shopper spending €1,450. This is a decrease from an average of €1,700 in the previous year.
Flights and holidays are the most popular online purchase with 83 per cent of respondents having paid for these via the internet last year. Tickets for concerts, movies and other entertainment events were also popular with 67 per cent of survey participants buying them online during the course of the year.
CDs, DVDs and video games ranked as the third most popular item, with 52 per cent of online shoppers saying they had bought them online in 2009.
According to the research, conducted for Visa Europe, internet users in Ireland spends as much as 55 hours per year browsing for goods or shopping online during office hours, equivalent to more than one working week per year.
Half of the people surveyed believe they can save up to 30 per cent by buying goods on the internet as compared to the high street.
Security concerns ranked low with 88 per cent of online shoppers saying they were confident that the Internet retailer they purchased from is reputable and reliable. In addition, 80 per cent of survey participants said they know what security features to look for on websites.
