The 2004 Shop.org/BizRate.com Online Holiday Mood Study reported this week that 98% of merchants are expecting online growth this season. Conducted by Shop.org, an online retailers association, and BizRate.com, a shopping search engine, the survey also indicates that 32% of consumers plan to do more of their holiday shopping online this year.

Consumers who shop online are more likely to start their holiday shopping earlier than consumers who shop at traditional brick-and-mortar stores, the survey shows.

According to the survey, more than half of online retailers (53%) will wait until November to begin promoting the holiday season, though most online shoppers will have started their shopping nearly a month before. Fifty-three percent of online shoppers plan to begin holiday shopping by early October, when only 14% of merchants will have launched their online holiday marketing promotions.

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