Web sites like Drugstore.com have been on the scene in the U.S. for several years now. But Germans have now taken to the convenience of ordering over-the-counter (OTC) medications over the Internet. According to Nielsen new MailTrack Pharma service, nearly 48 million OTC packs were sold through mail-order pharmacies in 2008 in Germany, accounting for 5.2 percent of total sales volume. On a value basis, share is even higher, with 7.3 percent or €521 million in sales.
“These numbers confirm the acceptance and attractiveness of mail order. Indeed, one in two …

Nearly one-fourth (24%) of online shoppers have spent more than $500 so far this holiday season, with 22% spending between $100-199 online, Nielsen reported Thursday. 
Most online shoppers surveyed by Nielsen (78%) cited the Web’s round-the-clock convenience as their primary reason for shopping online.
A majority of consumers made purchases from online retailers they already knew and trusted — 62% told Nielsen they ordered products from retailers they had shopped with in the past.  Search engines were also a popular way to find online retailers (38% of respondents), followed by offline catalogs (31% of respondents).  
In …