Couch Potato Nation By The Numbers

The days of driving across town to rent a movie or to hit the store for a carton of milk may be numbered. High gas prices are forcing us out of our cars and onto our MacBooks (APPL), as two thirds of online Americans now turn to their computers to shop, according to the Pew Research Center. E-commerce now accounts for 3.4% of total U.S. retail sales, up from 0.8% in early 2000. The trend is likely to continue.

Nielsen reports that 11% of consumers upped their internet shopping in June, and one-third of those surveyed said the high price of gas motivated them to become coach potato purchasers. And even when consumers do head out to troll the strip malls for goodies, they're thinking more strategically; 78% percent of respondents said they're combining shopping trips, and 51% are staying home more often.

"With gas prices passing the $4 per gallon mark, consumers are altering their driving and spending habits at dramatic levels," says Todd Hale, senior vice president of Nielsen's Consumer & Shopper insights division. "While discretionary spending is likely to be a challenge for most low and middle income shoppers, even affluent consumers are looking for ways to make their dollars go further."

Americans are embracing online shopping, and it’s not only showing in our driving habits. It’s showing in this quarter's company earnings reports.

With customers cutting back on trips to the store, and logging on to meet their shopping needs, it's no surprise that many e-commerce focused companies are benefiting. For this year's second quarter ending March 31, Netflix (NFLX) – the largest online DVD rental company – posted a 3.8% rise in net income, and total sales were up 11% when compared to this time last year. And Netflix is far from the only online retailer riding the wave. Amazon's (AMZN) revenue climbed a staggering 41%. Sales of electronics and general merchandise rose 58% and sales of books, CDs and DVDs increased by 31%. Revenue for Overstock.com (OSTK) was also up 27%, and eBay's (EBAY) second quarter revenue was up 20% from a year ago as well.

One retailer that's not experiencing a comparable boom in revenue is Blockbuster (BBI). The struggling movie rental chain announced Thursday that it lost $44.7 million, or 23 cents per share in the last three months, and revenue grew a meager 3% since last year. Blockbuster tried to turnaround its performance and rival Netflix with an online rental service of its own, but with only 3.2 million subscribers (Netflix boasts 8.4 million subscribers), the Dallas based Blockbuster has struggled to maintain a strong foothold in the e-commerce industry.

So next time the pain at the pump sends you logging on rather than logging more miles, remember you are not alone. This upwards trajectory of e-commerce is sending some companies sailing, and leaving others (like Blockbuster) facing new challenges to keep up.