According to a new report released by Ebates, an online shopping. company, the number of people shopping online is growing, and has been increasing every year for some time.

In August of 2010, online shopping. numbers grew 45 percent when compared to the same period of time last year. The sector that saw the greatest increase was Appliances, which was up by 88 percent, followed by Clothing and Accessories, up by 68 percent.

However, the site reports that the amount of money spent by shoppers, as well as the volume of items purchased, has decreased. This may be in part due to the slow-to-rebound economy.

"The few bright spots [in the online shopping. market] will be provided by retailers who increased their online activities and attracted an increased number of buyers through discounts, incentives and special offers," said CEO of Ebates Kevin H. Johnson. "In this economy, the only way to grow is by appealing to the growing number of savvy shoppers."

Saving online by comparison shopping, searching for great deals and protecting personal information online are all behaviors ascribed to savvy shoppers. According to the Securities and Exchange Commission, online shoppers should be careful when giving out personal information on the web.