Final Pre-Christmas Push Propels U.S. Online Holiday Season Spending Through December 26 to Record $30.8 Billion

Blizzard in Northeast Provides Additional Boost to Post-Christmas Spending

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Dec 29, 2010, 08:23 ET

RESTON, Va., Dec. 29, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- comScore (Nasdaq: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today reported holiday season retail e-commerce spending for the first 56 days of the November – December 2010 holiday season. For the holiday season-to-date, $30.81 billion has been spent online, marking a 13-percent increase versus the corresponding days last year. The most recent week (week ending Dec. 26) witnessed $2.45 billion in spending, an increase of 17 percent versus the corresponding week last year.

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*2010 Holiday Season To Date vs. Corresponding Days in 2009 Non-Travel (Retail) Spending Excludes Auctions and Large Corporate Purchases Total U.S. – Home/Work/University Locations Source: comScore, Inc.**
	Millions ($)
	2009	2010	Percent Change
November 1 – December 26	$27,368	$30,810	13%
Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 25)	$318	$407	28%
Black Friday (Nov. 26)	$595	$648	9%
Cyber Monday (Nov. 29)	$887	$1,028	16%
Green Monday (Dec. 13)	$854	$954	12%
Free Shipping Day (Dec. 17)	$586	$942	61%
Week Ending Dec. 26 (Dec. 20-26)	$2,098	$2,450	17%
*Corresponding days based on corresponding shopping days (November 2 thru December 27, 2009)

"Online holiday spending has remained strong through Christmas and we've already seen the season totals easily surpass the levels of the past few years to set a new record for spending at almost $31 billion," said comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni. "For at least this holiday season, the American consumer has been able to shrug off the continuing economic challenges of high unemployment rates and depressed housing prices and spend at a rate that has been slightly stronger than we had expected. After the past few years' struggles, it is gratifying to see e-commerce return to a state that can only be described as a very merry holiday shopping season."

Top Growing Retail Categories

Computer Hardware ranks as the top growing category for the holiday season to date with a 23-percent increase versus last year. Purchases of handheld devices (such as Apple iPads and e-readers) and laptop computers have driven much of the category growth. Books & Magazines ranks second with 22 percent growth, followed by Consumer Electronics (up 21 percent), Computer Software excluding PC Games (up 20 percent) and Toys (up 16 percent). Other categories in the top ten included Jewelry & Watches (up 11 percent) and Apparel & Accessories (up 8 percent).


Top Growing Online Retail Product Categories *Nov. 1 – Dec. 23, 2010 vs. Corresponding Days in 2009 Non-Travel (Retail) Spending Excludes Auctions and Large Corporate Purchases Total U.S. – Home/Work/University Locations Source: comScore, Inc.**
Retail Category	Percent Change
Computer Hardware	23%
Books & Magazines	22%
Consumer Electronics	21%
Computer Software (excl. PC Games)	20%
Toys	16%
Jewelry & Watches	11%
Video Games, Consoles & Accessories	9%
Music, Movies & Videos	9%
Furniture, Appliances & Equipment	8%
Apparel & Accessories	8%
*Corresponding days based on corresponding shopping days (November 2 thru December 24, 2009)

Weekly Online Holiday Retail Sales

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SOURCE comScore, Inc.