Going, going, click. Billed as Ireland's first online real-time auction, shopping portal www.buy4now.ie is attempting to liven up the lunch-break.
In what can otherwise be a dull shopping experience - no touching, no trying on - auctions can add a frisson of excitement to online purchases. Next Thursday, Ian Dempsey's weight in Cadbury's chocolate will be delivered to the highest bidder. Proceeds will go to the Debra Ireland charity.
Other lunchtime auctions feature products from shops accessed through buy4now, including Arnotts, Atlantic Home care, Easons and Superquinn. There is no reserve price and bidding begins at £1.
It seems online shopping is thriving in Ireland despite the negative dotcom experiences. Research recently conducted by market research company Amarach found that almost 150,000 Irish adults had bought something online in the first three months of this year, up from 50,000 a year ago.
For the first time, Irish sites accounted for the majority of purchases (51 per cent), compared to 33 per cent for the UK and 13 per cent for the US. It is likely that much of the increase in Irish-based sales is driven by the success of the Ryanair website, according to Amarach. Aer Lingus has since launched its online ticketing site.
The Amarach survey found that the majority of online shoppers were satisfied with the service they received. Almost one-third were very satisfied, three in 10 were satisfied, and 6 per cent considered their purchase very unsatisfactory.
One of the big issues surrounding e-commerce is also one of the most mundane - the size of the letter-box versus the size of the parcel. Many companies use the post and large parcels are then sent to a parcel office where they must be collected within specified hours, defeating the convenience element of online shopping. Some Irish-based companies, for instance Superquinn and Tesco, circumvent this by offering deliveries within specified time slots, usually including late evenings and weekends.
Grocery shopping has been one of the online shopping successes. Superquinn and Tesco both offer online shopping, albeit with limited delivery areas at present. There is a delivery charge of £5 and £6, respectively. Musgraves is carrying out an online shopping trial. Tesco UK is piloting a system which would allow visually-impaired customers to shop online.
One of the biggest issues for many would-be online shoppers is security. The European Consumer Centre advises shoppers to make sure they have the name and geographical address of the vendor.
Look for the padlock symbol on the bottom right-hand corner of a site, indicating it is secure. Obtain confirmation of the order and check your credit card statement carefully to ensure you have been billed properly. Advice and information is available on the ECC's website: www.ecic.ie