With the likelihood of crowded shopping malls, many U. S. consumers are turning to the Internet this holiday season to provide a way to avoid the stressful gift selection process.

In fact, a recent survey conducted by Shopzilla, a major comparison-shopping network on the Internet, cites convenience as the biggest reason that the consumers polled shopped online. Of the 2,456 respondents to the survey, over 80% cited the ability to save time and to make purchases at any hour of the night as the top reasons they use the Internet for holiday shopping.

Furthermore, the survey reported that 71% of these consumers choose e-commerce for holiday shopping because it lets them avoid large crowds. This could include mall traffic, parking problems, traffic jams as well as long lines at stores and checkout.

Surprisingly, only 52% of these consumers polled recognized that "getting the best deal" would be of benefit to them as a reason to shop online.

Conversely, a similar survey conducted by PriceGrabber.com, another comparison-shopping network, netted comparable results with convenience at 36%, flexibility at 33% and bargains at 19% as the reasons that people enjoy holiday shopping online.

A more detailed survey, conducted in November of 2005 by Deloitte & Touche, listed ten reasons U. S. consumers shop online for holiday gifts. The top three are convenience of 24/7 shopping (75%), time savings (70%) and less hassle/no crowds (67%).

But this survey takes online shopping perks even further, citing the fact that online shopping is easier than store shopping (52%) or a consumer can find unique products not found in stores (45%). Additionally, free shipping (44%), easier to comparison shop (40%), better prices (40%) and pay less/no taxes (36%) were listed. However, this survey takes into consideration a relative indication of the times, as it lists higher gas prices (at 35%, up from 18% in 2004) as a reason that they shopped online this holiday season.

To summarize, according to these recent online surveys, the six reasons to shop online this holiday season are:

Convenience-saving time, avoiding crowds, 24/7 shopping, easier than store shopping

Comparison shopping-major comparison-shopping networks like Shopzilla.com, PriceGrabber.com

Find unique products not found in stores-the Internet offers a vast selection of products from all over the globe

Free shipping options-many companies offer free shipping opportunities or shipping specials throughout the year

Tax savings

Gas savings

By taking advantage of these six online shopping benefits, consumers can make their shopping season in 2005 an easier gift giving experience.