The 2006 online holiday shopping season is upholding a new tradition: Sales since Nov. 1 have risen 25% over sales during the same period last year, comScore Networks Inc. reports, equal to the growth the industry has experienced for the past several years. From Nov. 1 to Dec. 5, online retail sales totaled $13.68 billion, up 25% from $10.98 billion a year earlier, comScore reported today.
ComScore also reported that this past Monday set a record for online sales, at $647 million, up 26% vs. the corresponding day a year earlier.
ComScore is projecting November-December sales of $24.3 billion, up 24% from last year’s $19.6 billion.
The sales increases are the result of 17% increase in the number of online buyers, coupled with a 7% increase in the average dollars spent per buyer, comScore reports.
ComScore reports average tickets in the following categories:
Computer Hardware, $292;
Consumer Electronics, $153;
Video Game Consoles & Accessories, $141;
Jewelry & Watches, $128;
Event Tickets, $123.
ComScore reports fastest growth categories in dollars:
Video Games, 85%;
Jewelry & Watches, 69%;
Event Tickets, 66%;
Video Game Consoles & Accessories, 51%;
Consumer Electronics, 37%.
Furthermore, comScore also reports that online buying from home is growing faster (30%) than from work (19%).
In November and December, consumers spent $5.44 billion from home, up from $4.18 billion a year earlier, and $5.36 billion from work, vs. $4.51 billion a year earlier.
"As broadband connectivity in the home continues to rise, we're seeing some online spending shift from work computers to home computers," says Gian Fulgoni, chairman of comScore. "Nonetheless, online buying at work still accounts for as many e-commerce dollars as buying from home. This could indicate that old habits die hard—while also reflecting consumers' valuing of the workplace as the location where they're able to confidentially buy gifts online for immediate family members."
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