ComScore reported e-commerce spending for the first 22 days of the November December 2009 holiday season were $8.21 billion, marking a 2% increase versus the corresponding days last year.
“The beginning of the online holiday shopping season has gotten off to a positive start, which is a nice improvement over the slightly negative growth rates we’ve experienced through much of 2009,” said comScore chairman, Gian Fulgoni. “Nonetheless, online spending this holiday season will likely be tempered by the stark reality of 10-percent unemployment and less disposable income in many consumers’ wallets.”
The official comScore 2009 holiday season forecast is that online retail spending for the November December period will reach $28.8 billion, representing a 3% gain versus year ago. This modest growth rate represents an improvement compared to last season’s 3% decline, but remains well below the growth rates of 20% or higher seen in previous years.
From January through October, e-commerce sales dipped 1% to $102.1 billion from $100.7 billion. For the November-December holiday period, sales are expected to climb from $28.0 miillion to $28.8 million, up 3%.
“After weathering the challenge of negative growth rates throughout much of the year, we are finally forecasting a return to positive growth at a rate of 3% for the 2009 holiday season,” added Fulgoni. “However, we need to realize that this year’s expected growth rate reflects the rapid deceleration in online consumer spending that occurred during the last two months of 2008, making comparisons to the year ago time period more favorable for the current holiday season.”
ComScore 2009 Holiday Shopping Survey
Alongside its reporting of behaviorally monitored e-commerce spending, comScore is also conducting weekly surveys of approximately 500 consumers to determine attitudes and sentiment in regard to the holiday shopping season. In the most recent survey, conducted on Nov. 20-23, 2009, 34% of consumers said they had not even begun their holiday shopping yet. They also indicated that deals and promotions are becoming an increasingly important part of the holiday shopping experience. Specifically, 45% said that they are seeing more discounts, sales or promotions this year versus last year, compared to just 9% who said they are seeing fewer.
One of the more prominent promotions for online purchases is free shipping. When asked how important free shipping is for making an online purchase this holiday season, nearly three-quarters (73%) of consumers indicated it was important. Only 3% indicated free shipping was unimportant.
