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Report: Online holiday spending tops $24 billion

Tuesday, Dec. 15, reaches record $913M in online spending

December 21, 2009
According to the latest report from ComScore,Tuesday, Dec. 15, set an individual-day spending record with $913 million, the first such day to surpass the $900 million threshold.

Reston, Va.--Online sales for the holiday season to date (Nov. 1-Dec. 18) have increased 4 percent to $24.8 billion, compared with the corresponding days last year, according to the latest report from ComScore.

The most recent week ended Dec. 18 began on a slightly disappointing note, with sales of $854 million on Green Monday (Dec. 14) down 1 percent versus a year ago, but was followed by three strong spending days that each surpassed $800 million. Most notably, Tuesday, Dec. 15, set an individual-day spending record with $913 million, the first such day to surpass the $900 million threshold.

"Despite a disappointing start to the week, with sales on Monday of $854 million down 1 percent versus 2008, we were encouraged to see spending continue strongly throughout the balance of the work week, led by Tuesday's record $913 million," ComScore Chairman Gian Fulgoni said in a media release. "In fact, each day through Thursday, Dec. 17--the last day that many online retailers would guarantee free shipping in time for Christmas--saw at least $800 million in spending, which suggests that savvy consumers may have been waiting for those last-minute deals."

With the heaviest online spending days of the season now likely behind us, Tuesday, Dec. 15, will rank as the heaviest online spending day of the year at $913 million, one of nine individual spending days to surpass $800 million. Cyber Monday (Monday, Nov. 30) currently stands in second place with $887 million, the highest it has ever ranked on this list, according to ComScore.

"In a typical year, Cyber Monday tends to be the eighth to tenth heaviest spending day, but this year, it moved higher up the list than ever before," Fulgoni said in the release. "In part, this is due to the fact that the day fell fairly late in the season, so that pent up consumer demand likely boosted its performance, but also because of the increasing marketing hoopla and promotional activity that surround the day."

The third heaviest spending day of the year was Tuesday, Dec. 1, with $886 million in spending, followed by Wednesday, Dec. 16, with 874 million and Green Monday (Monday, Dec. 14) rounding out the top five with $854 million.

ComScore's analysis of online transactions reveals that free shipping remained an important driver of online shopping throughout the 2009 holiday season. During each week, at least 45 percent of all transactions included free shipping, outpacing the corresponding week in 2008.

2009 online holiday spending to date (millions $)

Nov. 1-Dec. 18
2008: $23,873
2009: $24,757
Change: 4 percent

Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 26)
2008: $288
2009: $318
Change: 10 percent

Black Friday (Nov. 27)
2008: $534
2009: $595
Change: 11 percent

Cyber Monday (Nov. 30)
2008: $834
2009: $887
Change: 5 percent

Green Monday (Dec. 14)
2008: $859
2009: $854
Change: -1 percent

Tuesday, Dec. 15
2008: $754
2009: $913
Change: 21 percent

ComScore measures the digital world and is a preferred source of digital marketing intelligence. For more information, visit the company's Web site, Comscore.com/CompanyInfo.
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