Retail trends

... as indicated by Google queries.  In 2002, the top-retailers list had Ikea at the top, then Home Depot, followed by Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Sears, and on down to Office Depot in the tenth spot.  In October/November of 2003, Ikea was first (in terms of number of queries), Wal-Mart second, Best Buy third, and on down to K-Mart at number ten.

The popularity of retailers in October, 2004, queries (the latest available) looks quite different:  Wal-Mart is number three, behind eBay at number one and Amazon at number two; Best Buy is at number four and Home Depot at number five.

2004 is the first time that strictly on-line retailers have been in the top ten, let alone the top spots.  Wal-Mart, of course, does a substantial business on line, as do others, but the shift in the number of queries may indicate that more shopping is being done over the internet, and a substantial amount is going to on-line-only providers.