Analysts from Forrester Research are confident that online sales will jump by as much as 17 percent this year alone.

Online retail is expected to grow to $204 million in 2008 from $174 million last year. What are the consumers purchasing over the net ? Clothing, computers and cars, it seems.

E-commerce ''is clearly the bright spot in retailing,'' said Scott Silverman, Executive Director of Shop.org. U.S. retailers, on the other hand, are expected to report next to no sales growth in March.

It's quite possible that the sluggish economy is actually helping online sales growth, as cash strapped consumers are becoming more cautious and hunting bargains online.

More here.