More and more Italians are making online purchases according to a report on communications services in Italy 2001-2005 conducted by the Censis research institute and the Unione cattolica stampa italiana. Of Italys 18 million registered internet users 3 million regularly use the internet to pay for things. Just under half (45 per cent) said that it (the internet) is more economical and the prices are lower with another third (29 per cent) enjoying the comfort of shopping from home. Another 19.5 per cent believe it is quicker to purchase online, however only 6 per cent claimed it is safe and that (they) have never had a problem. Indeed 40 per cent of Italian internet users that do not use the net for e-commerce expressed a lack of personal trust and another 21 per cent did not believe in the security of the payments system. Some 10 million web surfers do, however, use the internet for research before making a purchase. Tourism accounted for 43 per cent of e-commerce in 2004 followed by the insurance sector while IT and electronics goods came much further down the table.
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