Online spending in last week of 2004 up 9%

Online retail spending reached $1.2 billion the week ending Jan. 2, comScore Networks Inc. reports, up 9% from $1.1 billion for the corresponding week a year ago.

With sales of $1.2 billion in the final week of the year, total online sales in 2004 reached $64.85 billion, up 25% from $51.9 billion in 2003, according to comScore numbers.

Offline shopping was up 55.6% for the week ending Jan. 1 vs. the same week a year ago, reported ShopperTrak’s National Retail Sales Estimate. ShopperTrak described the increase as “astounding” and pointed out that the day after Christmas was included in that week in 2004 and was not in the corresponding week a year earlier. ShopperTrak also reported that total December sales were up only 0.7% from December 2003.

Online travel spending for the week ending Jan. 2 reached $685 million, up 36% from $505 million in the same week a year earlier, comScore reports.