Why do so many consumers shop online? The main reason isn’t to save money, but for the sake of convenience. Respondents to a recent survey by researcher Nielsen said the top reason they chose to shop online was the ability to buy things whenever they wanted, followed by the ability to avoid massive crowds — one of the major headaches associated with holiday shopping.

Now, thanks to the World Wide Web, humans from all by the world can partake of European specialty goods — from fine gourmet foods and designer housewares to kitschy souvenirs. BusinessWeek has compiled a useful list of e-commerce sites that sell authentic European goods with guaranteed Christmas delivery. Some of the sites are operated by U.S.-based importers of European merchandise, while others are based in Europe.

Many of the sites [were] founded by European emigrants to the U.S. who craved items they were accustomed to back at home — rendering their offerings not

just authentic but plus nostalgic and endearing. Bodie and Fou’s co-founder, Karine Kong, set up her quirky, contemporary European furniture site after moving to London and discovering that it was nearly impossible to find the stylish home furnishings she was used to back in France.

Convenient Elegance

Parisian Sion Benchimol, founder and president of European gifts Web site Prestige Identity, started his business in 2004 after moving to California and being frustrated with the lack of affordable stylish items. “Our goal is to bring the most elegant European gifts to the American market and construct them convenient to purchase online with shipping available within a few days from our store in Los Angeles,” says Benchimol.

While some of the sites sell useful household items with a European touch, others offer gifts that are a bit outrageous, such as a $1,300 authentic Swiss cowbell. “Hardly anyone buys the gigantic bell, but…

Original post by dhiram