INTERNET EXERCISE: Look up “ Estimated Quarterly U.S. Retail Sales: Total and E-Commerce,”

tabulated by the Retail Indicators Branch of the U.S.

Census Bureau, at http://www.census.gov/mrts/www/

data/html/07Q1table3.html. First, using Excel, create a bar graph of the e-commerce retail sales in millions of dollars for the past five years. How would you describe the growth trend? Project the e-commerce retail sales for the second quarter of next year. How did you make this forecast? Second, again using Excel, create a bar graph of the e-commerce retail sales as a percentage of total retail sales for the past five years. How would you describe the growth trend?

Project the e-commerce retail sales as a percentage of total retail sales for the second quarter of next year.

How did you make this forecast?