Online sales continue their acceleration, up 40% for week ending July 27

Online retail spending continued its re-ignited growth at the end of July, with online sales growing 40% to $947 million for the week ending July 27 from $674 million for the corresponding week a year ago, comScore Networks Inc.’s Media Metrix division reports. The 40% growth represents a steady re-acceleration of growth since the start of the second half. In the first half, retail sales totaled $22.7 billion, up 15% from the first half of 2002, comScore reports. Throughout July, weekly sales growth never fell below 25%.

Online sales growth reflects strong overall retail sales growth of 5.6% for the week ending July 26 vs. the same week a year ago, according to ShopperTrak’s National Retail Sales Estimate. It was the 13th consecutive week of year-over-year growth, ShopperTrak reports. Just as online sales are accelerating, so are total sales, ShoppperTrak says. The average year-over-year growth for the first 29 weeks of the year was 2.5%, while the average of the last three weeks was 5.7%.

Online travel sales also grew strongly, up 29% to $980 million from $760 million the same week a year ago. First half travel sales were up 34% vs. a year ago to $19.7 billion, comScore reports.