comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released its Q4 2010 U.S. retail e-commerce sales estimates, which showed that online retail spending reached a record $43.4 billion for the quarter, up 11 percent versus year ago. This growth rate represented the fifth consecutive quarter of positive year-over-year growth and second quarter of double-digit growth rates in the past year.


Retail E-Commerce (Non-Travel) Growth Rates
Excludes Auctions, Autos and Large Corporate Purchases
Total U.S. – Home/Work/University Locations
Source: comScore, Inc. 


                 E-Commerce
                   Spending         Y/Y Percent 
Quarter     ($ Millions)          Change 
Q1 2007   $27,970                17% 
Q2 2007   $27,176                23% 
Q3 2007   $28,441                23% 
Q4 2007   $39,132               19% 
Q1 2008   $31,178               11% 
Q2 2008   $30,581               13% 
Q3 2008   $30,274                 6% 
Q4 2008   $38,071               -3% 
Q1 2009   $31,031                 0% 
Q2 2009   $30,169                -1% 
Q3 2009   $29,552                -2% 
Q4 2009   $39,045                 3% 
Q1 2010   $33,984                10% 
Q2 2010   $32,942                 9% 
Q3 2010   $32,133                 9% 
Q4 2010   $43,432               11% 

 

“Retail e-commerce had a strong fourth quarter, growing 11% versus last year as holiday season spending was bolstered by an improving sentiment among some consumer segments and by retailers’ discounting and promotions,” said comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni. “The 2010 holiday season saw the first billion-dollar day on record and several more surpassing $900 million to help propel Q4 to record spending levels. We anticipate that the progress we’ve seen in the past year as we climbed out of the recession will continue with sustained double-digit growth rates in 2011.”


Other highlights from Q4 2010 include:



  • The top-performing online product categories were Computer Software (excl. PC Games), Consumer Electronics, Books & Magazines (excl. digital downloads), Computers/Peripherals/PDAs, and Toys & Hobbies. Each of the aforementioned categories grew at least 15% in Q4 2010 vs. year ago.
  • The top 25 online retailers accounted for 68.4% of dollars spent online, up 5.6 percentage points vs. year ago. However, this percentage represented a decline from Q3 2010, during which the top 25 retailers accounted for 69.9% of dollars, an indication that small and mid-sized retailers are also rebounding from the recession.
  • 84% of U.S. Internet users conducted an online transaction in Q4 2010, up from 78% last year. The average buyer spent about the same amount online during the most recent quarter as they did last year.