Online holiday sales grew 5 percent despite weak economy
Online holiday spending rose 5 percent to $27 billion during the holiday season, according to market researcher comScore.
Sales were measured from Nov. 1 to Christmas Eve. Adjusted for the extra day of shopping this year compared to last year, sales were up 3.5 percent. From Black Friday through Christmas Eve, sales were up 3.5 percent, with strength in categories such as consumer electronics, jewelry and watches.
Earlier indicators were showing that the season was shaping up to be better than expected. Retail store sales were also relatively strong, despite a big snowstorm that hit the East Coast just before the holidays. The snowstorm actually benefited online sales. The final shopping weekend for online sales saw a 13 percent growth over the previous year.
The market research also showed that larger electronic retailers like Best Buy and Walmart did better than smaller online sellers. Sales were strong thanks to promotions and offers of free shipping. Amazon, for instance, offered free last-minute shipping for buyers of its Kindle e-book reader. A year ago, online sales fell 3 percent.
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About the Author, Dean Takahashi
Dean is lead writer for GamesBeat at VentureBeat. He covers video games, security, chips and a variety of other subjects. Dean previously worked at the San Jose Mercury News, the Wall Street Journal, the Red Herring, the Los Angeles Times, the Orange County Register and the Dallas Times Herald. He is the author of two books, Opening the Xbox and the Xbox 360 Uncloaked. Follow him on Twitter at @deantak, and follow VentureBeat on Twitter at @venturebeat.
