Online Dating Sites Gear Up for Their Own 'Holiday Season'

AP -- Dec 28 -- In the wake of the holiday shopping rush, web surfers are heading online for a different kind of transaction: finding a soulmate. According to data from the Atlas Institute, the research arm of online advertising agency aQuantive Inc., online personals and dating sites saw a major increase in action during the week between Christmas and New Year's last year. Transaction volume on dating sites climbed steadily through January 2006 to levels 50% higher than on retail sites. Said Match.com CEO Jim Safka, "traffic and registrations on the site pick up right after Christmas and continue at 30% to 50% above average through Valentine's Day."