By 2005, a quarter of Switzerland's retail sales will be made via the Internet, according to a report released on Monday.

The upbeat report on the health of Internet shopping comes at a time when analysts have been lamenting a worldwide decline in e-commerce.

According to the survey, carried out by the consultant group Ernst & Young, up to 25 per cent of all book, music, software and video transactions will be carried out on the Internet within the next four years.

The global survey of Internet retailers and customers was carried out in October and November last year and reveals that the majority of Swiss on-line customers are satisfied with their shopping experiences on the Net.

The Swiss are described in the report as "enthusiasts of e-commerce".

Ernst & Young said nine per cent of all Swiss households have made at least one on-line purchase during the last 12 months. Of those households connected to the World Wide Web, 73 per cent have made an on-line purchase over the past year.

The average amount spent by Swiss Internet shoppers was SFr1,320 per order.

The report also revealed that the world of virtual retail is still largely dominated by men.

Except in the United States and Australia, the majority of the world's Internet shoppers are men. Switzerland does not buck this trend: 80 per cent of all Swiss on-line shoppers are men.

swissinfo with agencies

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative