On-line Sales Rise 15% Year-over-Year (SCOR)

Holiday shoppers have been spending in force this year, both in brick-and-mortar stores and, even more strongly on-line. Sales are up more than 3% overall and on-line sales are 15% higher than a year ago.

So says comScore (NASDAQ: SCOR) in their latest report on on-line spending. According to the firm, sales reaches $1.04 billion last weekend, the second-highest total ever recorded. Total on-line sales for period from November 1st through December 18th have reached nearly $32 billion. Total sales last week totaled $6.3 billion, a new record.

comScore’s chairman noted that sales aren’t over yet:

With only a few more days until Christmas, the preponderance of Americans’ late season holiday shopping will shift to brick-and-mortar retail, although the procrastinators among us will still be able to take advantage of expedited shipping and buy online up to and including the day before Christmas Eve with the guarantee of having their gifts delivered in time for the holiday. In total, we will see another $5 or $6 billion in e-commerce spending over the remainder of December to finish off what has clearly been an outstanding season for online retailers.

The research firm also noted that ten days in this year’s holiday shopping season have seen $1 billion or more in on-line sales. Cyber Monday, November 28th, posted a total sales figure of $1.251 billion, the highest single-day total ever.

The International Council of Shopping Centers-Goldman Sachs Weekly Chain Store Sales index rose 3.4% last week compared with the previous week and 4.6% year-over-year. The ICSC expects sales to rise 3.5% this holiday season, slightly less than last year’s 3.8% rise over 2009.

Paul Ausick