As online and multichannel retailers intensify their already-underway preparations for the 2014 holiday shopping season, they should take a look at a new report from IBM.

According to the IBM report:

“A prosperous 2014 holiday season appears to be in store for U.S. online retailers. Shopping on retail Web sites continues to grow at a double-digit pace. Average order value (AOV) and items per order both rose to record highs over the past year. Soaring usage of smartphones and tablets has made online shopping accessible to consumers anytime, anywhere.”

“Yet, the holiday season presents just as many risks as opportunities. Paths to purchase are more convoluted and unpredictable than ever as consumers interact through mobile devices, E-mail, advertising, and social media. Consumer attention as reflected in such metrics as average time on site and page views per session sank to new lows over the past 12 months. So did the overall conversion rate.”

Click the image to access the full IBM report about 2014 online holiday shopping.