Reston, VA, January 4, 2007--Online consumer non-travel (retail) spending rose 26%, including the holiday season (November 1, 2006 – December 31, 2006).
For the full year 2006, online retail spending reached $102.1 billion, marking a 24-percent increase versus 2005. Online holiday e-commerce accounted for $24.6 billion, up 26 percent versus last year.
“2006 was certainly an exceptional year for online retailers as e-commerce spending eclipsed $100 billion for the first time, and growth remained very strong with a 24-percent increase versus last year,” said Gian Fulgoni, chairman of ComScore Networks. “The online holiday shopping season of course played a vital role in the year’s success, as spending accelerated during the final two months of the year, helping push total online retail spending over the $100 billion threshold.”
Online retail spending saw several strong individual spending days during 2006, with 12 days during the November/December holiday season surpassing the $600 million mark. In comparison, just six days in 2005 reached $500 million in online sales, with the top day registering $556 million (Monday, December 12, 2005). Wednesday, December 13 marked the heaviest online spending day of 2006 with $667 million spent, followed by Monday, December 11 ($661 million) and Monday, December 4 ($648 million). Monday, November 27 (“Cyber Monday”) was surpassed 11 times during the subsequent weeks of the holiday season.
