More than 5,000 locals in Shanghai consulted about opening an online store at this year's business-starting fair which was held last week, the Shanghai Starting-Business Guidance and Service Center revealed yesterday.

Some 20 percent of those people will successfully launch their own e-business, center officials estimated.

"Online stores have changed from an e-market where people sell their surplus articles to a business-starting project for locals, especially the unemployed," said Sheng Zuhuan, the center's director.

So far, 80,000 online stores have been opened in the city by individual investors with annual trading volume reaching some 80 million yuan (US$9.6 million), according to (www.eachnet.com), the biggest e-commerce Website in China.

Young people aged 20 to 30 have become the biggest group of online shop owners, followed by middle-aged laid-off workers and even white-collar workers who opened a store as their second job, the Website revealed.

Among all the online stores, IT products - such as computers, cell phones and digital cameras - are the most popular business sector among young male shop owners.

Garment stores, jewelry stores as well as household articles are also popular, said Tang Lei, a manager at eachnet.

"Consider the high rent for housing in Shanghai, the investment involved in opening an online store is really very low. Besides, the e-store can perform as well as real shops," Sheng said.

According to eachnet, e-commerce starters need only to pay at most eight yuan (US$0.96) registration fee to apply for an account. The Website will then charge owners nearly one percent commission on each deal.

The internet's expansion without limitations on time and space have drawn many businessmen who had already owned a store to start online businesses.

"Trade volume at my store has increased some 10,000 yuan per month since my online store opened in April," said Gao Xiang, a cake shop owner, adding the increase resulted from consumers who took online orders from other parts of the country.

Shoppers are also enjoying the e-commerce boom.

"It really saves my energy not having to stroll from one small fashion shop to another along streets. All I need to do now is just click the mouse," said Karen Lu, a 25-year-old office worker.

(eastday.com September 22, 2003)