ComScore said this past Saturday and Sunday saw $1.7 billion in
online spending via desktop computers, up a robust 71 percent versus last year.
Sales on Green Monday, this past Monday, reached $1.4 billion in desktop online spending, up 10
percent versus year ago, representing the third heaviest online spending
day of the holiday season-to-date.

Overall holiday season U.S. retail e-commerce spending from desktop computers for the first 39 days of the November-December 2013 holiday season reached $31.5 billion has been spent online, marking a 9-percent increase versus the corresponding days last year. However, as noted in previous releases, Thanksgiving Day falls six days later this year than last and causes more heavy spending days to fall in the year ago period, thereby diluting growth rates at this point. For example, we see a 25-percent increase if using the alternate comparison of the 4-week period preceding Thanksgiving.

Cyber Week, the week beginning with Cyber Monday, posted strong growth online, raking in approximately $8 billion in spending for an increase of 24 percent compared to the same week last year.

2013 Holiday Season To Date vs. Corresponding Days* in 2012

Non-Travel (Retail) E-Commerce Spending

Excludes Auctions and Large Corporate Purchases

Total U.S. – Home & Work Desktop Computers
Source: comScore, Inc.

 

 

Millions ($)
2012 2013 Percent Change
Nov. 1–Dec. 9 (vs. Nov. 2-Dec. 10, 2012)
$28,839
$31,547
9%
Nov. 1–Dec. 9 (vs. Oct. 26-Dec. 3, 2012)
$25,272
$31,547
25%
Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 28)
$633
$766
21%
Black Friday (Nov. 29)
$1,042
$1,198
15%
Holiday Weekend (Nov. 30-Dec. 1)
$1,187
$1,594
34%
Cyber Monday (Dec. 2)
$1,465
$1,735
18%
Thanksgiving thru Cyber Monday
$4,327
$5,293
22%
Cyber Week (Dec. 2-8)
$6,437
$7,978
24%
  Cyber Week Monday-Friday (Dec. 2-6)
$5,462
$6,315
16%
  Cyber Weekend (Dec. 7-8)
$975
$1,663
71%
Green Monday (Dec. 9)
$1,275
$1,401
10%
Thanksgiving thru Cyber Week
$9,300
$11,536
24%


*Corresponding days based on corresponding shopping days (November 2 thru December 10, 2012)

“Online buying for the period since Thanksgiving has been very strong and indicates that e-commerce is on track to meet expectations,” said comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni. “While Green Monday saw a strong desktop spending total of $1.4 billion, its 10-percent year-over-year growth rate might at first seem somewhat underwhelming given the growth rates we’ve seen for other important days this season.”

Added Fulgoni, “However, there is an interesting emerging storyline that helps speak to what’s happening during this year’s very unique holiday season. It would appear that the abbreviated calendar between Thanksgiving and Christmas is compelling shoppers to complete more of their online buying during the weekends – with this most recent weekend boasting an exceptional 71-percent gain from last year, following on the heels of last weekend’s 34-percent jump. The weekend is typically a lighter period of online buying than during workdays, but the weekend surges we’re seeing may be attributable to the effects of showrooming, with the in-store shopping experience increasingly getting disrupted by comparison shopping on mobile phones, leading to more conversions online after leaving the store. Of course, it’s also likely that many consumers realize the holiday spending clock is ticking and are urgently buying their gifts whenever they have time. And that, in turn, works to the benefit of e-commerce.”