In the end,
a bright jolly holiday online
Sales rebound from last year's decline, up 4 percent
By Louisa Ada Seltzer
Jan 7, 2010
It was a greener holiday after all, at least online.
Despite predictions heading into November that money-strapped consumers would cut back on their internet shopping in favor of in-store bargains, ecommerce sales were actually up 4 percent over 2008, according to numbers released yesterday by comScore, the web measuring firm.
Total non-travel retail spending online hit $29.1 billion, driven by large year-to-year increases in Black Friday and Dec. 15 shopping.
Black Friday sales were up 11 percent over last year, to $595 million, while sales on Dec. 15, considered one of the final days to guarantee delivery of an item before Christmas, shot up 21 percent to $913 million, making it the biggest e-shopping day of the season.
In fact, it was the biggest e-shopping day of all time in the U.S., earning it the new nickname Green Tuesday.
Cyber Monday was the second-biggest online shopping day, with $887 million spent, up 5 percent from last year.
Spending was also buoyed by a snowstorm that hit the East Coast on the weekend before Christmas, sending shoppers who had planned to visit brick-and-mortar stores to their computers.
Jewelry and watches, consumer electronics and event tickets saw the biggest year-to-year growth.
The overall year-to-year spending growth contrasted with last year's disappointing shopping season, when consumers spent $27.98 billion, down 3 percent from 2007.
That marked the first time online spending had fallen over the holidays. This year shoppers nearly equaled 2007's record total of $29.17 billion.
ComScore was cautiously optimistic about the numbers.
"It’s possible that this better-than-expected end-of-year performance is a harbinger of renewed vigor and optimism for 2010 as the consumer economy seeks to rebound from one of the worst years in memory," said comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni in a statement.
"At the same time, we need to remember that consumers’ spending power remains constrained by high unemployment levels, substantial debt and a new-found desire to save."
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