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Survey results will shed light on consumers' online shopping habits and preferences, including top sites, purchases and dollars spent ROCHESTER, N.Y. and NEW YORK, Nov. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Goldman, Sachs & Co., Nielsen//NetRatings and Harris Interactive(R) today announced that they will collaborate on their sixth annual Holiday eSpending Report, conducting weekly surveys throughout November and December 2006. Approximately 1,000 U.S. adults (online shoppers from Harris Interactive's online panel) will be asked about their online holiday shopping habits, from when and where they shop, to how much they spend and what they buy. The results of these surveys offer invaluable insight into consumer attitudes and behavior during the most critical season for retailers. Previous years' survey results indicated the consumer's growing preference for the convenience and flexibility of shopping online, even late into the holiday season, as well as the broad product selection. "The sixth annual eSpending survey will enable us to assess online consumer spending levels, drivers of preference and levels of satisfaction throughout the holiday season. While we expect this year's survey to confirm a continuation of strong secular growth for e-commerce industry sales, we also think the advent of a more sophisticated online buyer could drive greater fragmentation, more switching and less loyalty," said Anthony Noto, Internet and entertainment analyst, Goldman Sachs. What to expect in 2006 We believe that online retail will continue its growth trajectory during the 2006 holiday season, as dollars continue to migrate from traditional brick and mortar stores to multi-channel and Web-only retailers. Among multi-channel retailers, the most successful will be those that leverage their physical stores to provide their customers with greater choice. For example, companies whose Web sites display in-store product availability and offer store pick-up will capitalize on the advantages of each channel. Online-only retailers will also seek to capture holiday spending and will compete on a variety of fronts -- including extensive selection, unique or exclusive products, price, and customer service. "We're confident that we will see the majority of seasoned online shoppers return to the Internet this season to easily locate a broad array of products to complete their holiday purchases," said Heather Dougherty, senior retail analyst, Nielsen//NetRatings. "Product-related content, such as consumer- created reviews and ratings will be prevalent on many retail sites, offering potential buyers additional information from their peers before they make a purchase." Highlights of the 2005 online holiday shopping season "In 2005, our results showed consumer satisfaction reaching a peak with 64 percent of shoppers saying they were satisfied with the online shopping experience, and only six percent saying they were dissatisfied," commented Karen Chiarelli, vice president of technology and telecommunications research at Harris Interactive. "To maintain these high levels of satisfaction, retail sites must continue to deliver on the perceived benefits of online shopping -- including low prices (as compared to in-store) and offering a wide selection of products." Last year's survey projections revealed online holiday spending reached a record $30.1 billion in 2005, excluding travel, growing 30 percent over the previous year. Apparel/Clothing was the No. 1 product category among online holiday shoppers in 2005, drawing $5.3 billion in revenue and increasing 42 percent over the previous year. Computer hardware/peripherals and Consumer electronics ranked No. 2 and 3 among online shoppers, garnering $4.8 billion each and increasing 126 and 109 percent year-over-year, respectively. About Goldman Sachs Goldman Sachs is a leading global investment banking, securities and investment management firm that provides a wide range of services worldwide to a substantial and diversified client base that includes corporations, financial institutions, governments and high net worth individuals. Founded in 1869, it is one of the oldest and largest investment banking firms. The firm is headquartered in New York and maintains offices in London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Hong Kong and other major financial centers around the world. About Nielsen//NetRatings NetRatings, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRT) delivers leading Internet media and market research solutions, marketed globally under the Nielsen//NetRatings brand. With high quality, technology-driven products and services, Nielsen//NetRatings is the global standard for Internet audience measurement and premier source for online advertising intelligence, enabling clients to make informed business decisions regarding their Internet and digital strategies. The Nielsen//NetRatings portfolio includes panel-based and site- centric Internet audience measurement services, online advertising intelligence, user lifestyle and demographic data, e-commerce and transaction metrics, and custom data, research and analysis. For more information, please visit http://www.nielsen-netratings.com/. About Harris Interactive(R) Harris Interactive is the 12th largest and fastest-growing market research firm in the world. The company provides research-driven insights and strategic advice to help its clients make more confident decisions which lead to measurable and enduring improvements in performance. Harris Interactive is widely known for The Harris Poll, one of the longest running, independent opinion polls and for pioneering online market research methods. The company has built what it believes to be the world's largest panel of survey respondents, the Harris Poll Online. Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its United States, Europe and Asia offices, its wholly-owned subsidiary Novatris in France and through a global network of independent market research firms. The service bureau, HISB, provides its market research industry clients with mixed-mode data collection, panel development services as well as syndicated and tracking research consultation. More information about Harris Interactive may be obtained at http://www.harrisinteractive.com/. To become a member of the Harris Poll Online and be invited to participate in online surveys, register at http://go.hpolsurveys.com/PR. Press Contacts: Goldman Sachs Ed Canaday 212-357-0005 Nielsen//NetRatings Suzy Bausch 408-941-2965 Harris Interactive Nancy Wong 585-214-7316 Editor's Note: Please source data to Goldman Sachs, Nielsen//NetRatings and Harris Interactive. DATASOURCE: Harris Interactive CONTACT: Ed Canaday of Goldman Sachs, +1-212-357-0005, ; or Suzy Bausch of Nielsen//NetRatings, +1-408-941-2965, ; or Nancy Wong of Harris Interactive, +1-585-214-7316, Web site: http://www.harrisinteractive.com/ http://www.nielsen-netratings.com/

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