Holiday E-Commerce Spending Accelerates in Most Recent Week as This Year's Compressed Shopping Season Increases Urgency to Spend

Holiday E-Commerce Spending Accelerates in Most Recent Week as This Year's Compressed Shopping Season Increases Urgency to Spend 13.7 KB

RESTON, Va., Dec 10, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ --

comScore (Nasdaq : SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today reported its tracking of holiday season retail e-commerce spending for the first 37 days of the November - December 2008 holiday season. For the holiday season through December 7, $15.63 billion has been spent online, essentially the same level compared to the corresponding days last year. During the first week since Cyber Monday (December 1 - December 7), sales totaled $4.45 billion, up 7 percent versus year ago.

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    2008 Holiday Season To Date vs. Corresponding Days in 2007
    Non-Travel (Retail) Spending
    Excludes Auctions and Large Corporate Purchases
    Total U.S. - Home/Work/University Locations
    Source: comScore, Inc.

    Holiday Season to Date                         Millions ($)
                                       2007            2008    Pct Change

    November 1 - December 7*        $15,624         $15,628            0%
    December 1 - 7                   $4,140          $4,449            7%

    * Corresponding days based on equivalent shopping days relative to
      Thanksgiving (October 27 - December 2, 2007)

"Cyber Monday kicked off a week of modest growth in online spending, and, hopefully, reflects what will occur over the final weeks leading up to Christmas," said comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni. "The compressed shopping period between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year means that there is now a greater sense of urgency in order to get all of one's shopping completed in time. With many consumers likely to rely on the convenience of online shopping in these final weeks, I hope to see this positive momentum continue as we count down the days to Christmas."

Retailers Increase Their Use of E-Mail Marketing in 2008

An analysis of referral activity reveals that 33.4 percent of all online sales in 2008 were driven by referral activity, up slightly from 32.8 percent in 2007. Referral activity typically reflects retailers' marketing activities which provide consumers with relevant information on prices and discounts. While search remains the dominant referral activity, accounting for 55 percent of referred dollar sales during the season-to-date, it is down slightly from 57 percent last year. Meanwhile, e-mail has accounted for 16 percent of referred dollars, up 5 percentage points from last year, reflecting retailers' heavier use of e-mail marketing programs this season. Comparison shopping sites and coupon sites also represent a larger contribution to retailers' referred dollar sales than they did last year.



    Source of Referred E-Commerce Dollars by Tactic for Week Ending December 7
    vs. Corresponding Days in 2007
    Non-Travel (Retail) Spending
    Excludes Auctions and Large Corporate Purchases
    Dec. 1 - Dec. 7, 2008 vs. Corresponding Shopping Days in 2007
    Total U.S. - Home/Work/University Locations
    Source: comScore, Inc.

    Referral Tactic                                      Source of Referral
                                                          e-Commerce Sales
                                                        2007           2008

    Search                                             56.7%          54.5%
    e-mail                                             11.0%          16.1%
    Comparison Shopping                                 2.5%           4.7%
    Coupons                                             1.1%           1.8%
    Other Categories                                   28.7%          22.9%

comScore's Summary of 2008 Holiday Online Retail Spending by Key Time Period

    Online Non-Travel (Retail) Holiday Consumer Spending
    Excludes Auctions and Large Corporate Purchases
    Total U.S. - Home/Work/University Locations
    Source: comScore, Inc.
                                                   Millions ($)
                                       2007            2008    Pct Change

    January - October               $93,551        $102,144            9%
    comScore Holiday Season
     Forecast (Nov-Dec)             $29,169       $29,200**          0%**
    November 27 (Thanksgiving Day)*    $273            $288            6%
    November 28 (Black Friday)*        $531            $534            1%
    December 1 (Cyber Monday)*         $733            $846           15%

    *  Versus Corresponding Shopping Day in 2007 Relative to Thanksgiving
    ** Forecast

About comScore

comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) is a global leader in measuring the digital world and preferred source of digital marketing intelligence. For more information, please visit http://www.comscore.com/companyinfo.

SOURCE comScore

http://www.comscore.com/

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Holiday E-Commerce Spending Accelerates in Most Recent Week as This Year's Compressed Shopping Season Increases Urgency to Spend