Second-hand searches rise

With the credit crunch in full swing, surfers are using search engines and price-comparison sites to find the best deals online, according to web-monitoring firm Hitwise.

If web search terms are indicative of the current economic climate, then the search term 'second hand' has become the motto of the credit crunch.

Robin Goad, research director with Hitwise said: "Searches containing the words 'second hand' have increased by 22 per cent over the last 12 months."

Cars are the most popular second-hand goods online, with second-hand furniture, bikes, laptops and even wedding dresses coming in the top 10.

Another noticeable trend is a decline in property searches. This is in contrast to a rise in traffic to house and garden retail websites as "people look to cocoon themselves in their existing homes", said Goad.

Banking and finance websites have seen a huge growth in traffic, especially Irish bank websites in light of the Irish government's decision to guarantee all of the country's banking deposits.

Surfers are also turning to the web to get the best deals on energy supplies ahead of the winter, according to Hitwise.

"Energy prices are a big issue, and consumers are looking for efficiency and better deals," Goad said.

www.hitwise.com