Online spending eases its hot growth for 2006’s week 4—but not by much

Consumer online retail spending growth eased its hot pace in the fourth week of the year, comScore Networks Inc. reports. Online retail sales for the week ending Jan. 29 were up 23% over the corresponding week a year ago, reaching $1.81 billion for the week from $1.47 billion a year earlier. In each if the first three weeks of the year, online sales grew at 30% or more year-over-year.

Online sales have grown 30% in the first month of the year, reaching $7.33 billion from $5.62 billion in January 2005, according to comScore numbers.

By comparison, ShopperTrak’s National Retail Sales Estimate reports that total retail sales grew 6.6% for the week ending Jan. 28 compared to the comparable week a year ago.

Online travel sales for the week ending Jan. 29 reached $1.26 billion, up 14% from $1.11 billion in the corresponding week a year ago, comScore reports.

ComScore executive John Miniati is speaking at the Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition June 5-7 in Chicago on Who`s Online and How Do You Reach Them?