DULLES, Va. – America Online Inc. the world's largest Internet services provider and a unit of AOL Time Warner Inc., said on Wednesday that online retail purchases by AOL members in 2001 jumped 67 percent to more than $33 billion from 2000.
The company said fourth quarter member spending climbed to a record $11 billion, up 72 percent from the prior year quarter, and was capped by $7.2 billion in online spending during the 2001 holiday season.
AOL said the top retail categories for the holiday season remained women's and teen's apparel.
Last week, America Online said its worldwide membership surpassed 33 million subscribers, pinning the growth to its new AOL 7.0 software and the launch of high-speed service over cable television lines in some markets.
AOL on Wednesday said females accounted for 64 percent of all shopping, underscoring the extent to which AOL's shopping audience is paralleling offline retailing and making online buying a habit.
AOL, citing convenience and its wide selection of brand-name partners, said 79 percent of its members shopped online during the last six months, with 91 percent planning additional online purchases in the next six months.
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