The economy is looking better now, and ecommerce sales will trend up for the next several years, say several reports. A newly resilient economy is poised to expand this year at its fastest pace since 2003, thanks in part to brisk spending by consumers and businesses, according to a survey of 51 economists polled by The Wall Street Journal. Moreover, confidence among U.S. consumers has risen to the highest level in three years, as Americans became more optimistic about their incomes and the economy, the Conference Board recently reported. The most recent index of shopper sentiment increased to 70.4, the highest since February 2008.

In addition, market data firm Forrester Research reports a prediction that Internet retail sales in the United States are set to rise about ten percent annually through 2015. The research was cited in the Journal, and included the data for market share growth. In 2010, Internet sales made up eight percent of total retail sales, and this number should rise to nine percent in 2011 and 11 percent in 2015. Smartphones and pad-like computing devices will help push this trend, as will daily deal sites such as Groupon.

The Forrester research was bolstered by a study from German info firm yStats.com, which also predicts double digit growth in business-to-consumer ecommerce sales in the United States. The report says that 70 percent of Americans are regular Internet users. By the end of 2011, yStats predicts 100 million Americans will be making purchases through mobile platforms.