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It started with a couple of CDs for a couple of dollars. Then came the peppermint foot oil for Christmas. Now 15-year-old Tara Farmer buys boxes of Bonne Bell eyeliner wholesale on the Internet.
Farmer doesn't have a credit card, but that doesn't stop her. In fact, the number of mall rats cruising online for CDs, clothes, and makeup will surge in coming years, giving brick-and-mortar malls a run for their money.
"A lot of people will take checks, and I have a checkbook," Farmer said. "And, if I can talk my parents into it, I can use their credit card -- if it's real cheap."
Teens spent about US$139 million online last year, according to market researcher Jupiter Communications. That figure is expected to jump 900 percent to $1.2 billion in the next few years.
Real-world retailers are gearing up for the blitz.
"Kids are online and spending more time online than any other group," said Alex Navarro, chief operating officer of Delia's, a retailer with an online shop. "It's a matter of going where your customers are."
Why would teens shop online when they could be hanging out at the mall? Mostly for the same reason adults do: convenience. Shopping on Gap.com won't bump into curfews, won't cut into homework time (much), and won't raise the hackles of strict parents. Besides, online retailers can offer a bit of the social atmosphere of the mall through chat rooms.
Already, many teen retailers are rushing to adapt to the online world. Based in New York, Delia's started as a catalog retailer of teen clothing and accessories and set up shop online in 1998. Besides selling teen clothing, Delia's also owns gURL, a webzine aimed at girls that links to the commerce site and offers virtual makeovers, movie reviews, and, of course, chat rooms.
"Teens love to chat," said Seema Williams, an analyst with Forrester Research. "Creating the ultimate teen commerce site is all about creating a cool place for teens to go. They need to stay engaged. It's not like adults who want the quick sale."
