U.S. online sales volume reached a record $32.6 billion during the 2010 holiday shopping season, up 12% from $29.1 million during the corresponding period a year earlier, according to data comScore Inc. released Jan. 5. ComScore’s data reflect e-commerce sales during the period from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31.
The heaviest shopping day of the year was Monday, Nov. 29, the first weekday after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Consumers that day spent $1.03 billion online, up 16.1% from $887 million in 2009, the Reston, Va.-based firm says. This past holiday season also marked the first time since comScore began tracking online holiday sales in 2001 that sales on the so-called “Cyber Monday” topped all other holiday season shopping days. It also was the first time online sales have topped $1 billion in a single day.
The second-busiest online shopping day was Monday, Dec. 13, when sales rose 11.7%, to $954 million from $854 million during the same day in 2009. Friday, Dec. 17, one of the last days to guarantee free shipping for arrival by Christmas, ranked third at $942 million, up 60.8% from $586 million a year earlier.
“Black Friday” on Nov. 26, typically the biggest overall holiday shopping day of the year, generated $648 million in online sales, up 8.9% from $595 million in 2009.
“This year, (e-commerce) retailers targeted many of their promotions even earlier than usual and reaped the benefits,” Gian Fulgoni, comScore chairman, said in a press release. More than half of all e-commerce transactions this past holiday season included free shipping, which was “up significantly” from last year, he said.
Comscore measures all U.S. home, work and university computer locations in its calculations; it excludes travel, auctions and large corporate purchases.
What do you think about this? Send us your feedback.
