British women are the new Net nerds, a Government survey claims. No longer is the typical online surfer a mid-twenties male, who can't get a girlfriend and still lives with his parents. It seems that in the next six months, women aged 25 to 40 will account for six out of ten new Web users in the UK. Females made up 40 per cent of those who started on the Web in the past three months, according to a report by Department of Trade and Industry's forecasting agency Foresight. By the end of 2000 there are expected to be 7.6 million British women regularly logging on – 50 per cent of users. And this invasion of the Net is due to unleash the power of female cyberspending. The profile of the average British Internet shopper – a home counties man aged 34 from social class ABC1 – is due to be replaced by women from all social groups. Online businesses should take heed, as they will cash in big time if they target more products at women, Foresight said. Last year, research by women.com revealed seventy per cent of women interviewed said they loved the Net so much that they couldn't imagine life without it. ® Most recognised Web sites among women: Amazon.com Egg.co.uk Handbag.com Smile.co.uk Lastminute.com Letsbuyit.com Monster.co.uk Zoom.co.uk Readytoshop.com Bol.com Boo.com Charlottestreet.com Beme.com Qxl.com Icircle.com Related stories Women to dominate the Net Is the Web full of female impersonators?