RESTON, Va., Dec 30, 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 holiday shopping season, beginning November 1 and ending December 23, the last day to purchase online with the possibility of delivery by Christmas Eve. Online spending reached $25.5 billion during that period, down 3 percent versus the corresponding shopping days in 2007.

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    2008 Holiday Season 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.
                                                 Millions ($)
                                                                      Pct
    Holiday Season                    2007            2008          Change
    November 1 - December 23        $26,332         $25,537           -3%


    *Corresponding days based on corresponding shopping days (Oct. 27 - Dec.
     18, 2007)

"The 2008 online holiday shopping season has declined 3 percent versus year ago, falling behind our expectation of flat sales this year," said comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni. "This marks the first time we've seen negative growth rates for the holiday season since we began tracking e-commerce in 2001. The combination of having five fewer shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas and the severe economic headwinds faced by consumers has made this a really tough season for retailers, both offline and online."

Q4 E-Commerce Spending to Date

The growth rate for Q4 2008 to date compared to the same period a year ago will end up looking marginally worse than the holiday season results. For the period of October 1 - December 28 compared to the same calendar days in 2008, e-commerce spending is down 4 percent to 36.8 billion. The fourth quarter of 2008 will also mark the first full quarter to record a negative growth rate since comScore began tracking e-commerce.

    Fourth Quarter-to-Date E-Commerce Spending
    Non-Travel (Retail) Spending
    Excludes Auctions and Large Corporate Purchases
    Total U.S. - Home/Work/University Locations
    Source: comScore, Inc.

                                                  Millions ($)
                                                                      Pct
    Q4-to-Date                        2007            2008          Change
    October 1 - December 28         $38,376         $36,803           -4%

Apple and Amazon among Top Traffic Gainers in December Despite soft online sales this holiday season, consumers continued to shop online for the best deals. In the period of December 1-24 vs. the corresponding shopping days last year, several top retailers achieved growth in visitation to their sites. eBay remained the most visited retail site with 85.4 million visitors but saw a slight decline of 4 percent in visitors, while three of the top five most visited sites recorded gains. Amazon Sites grew 7 percent to 76.2 million visitors, followed by Wal-Mart (up 4 percent to 51.5 million visitors), Target (down 1 percent to 46.8 million visitors) and Apple Inc. (up 19 percent to 35 million visitors).

    Traffic Growth to Top Retailer Sites
    Dec. 1 - Dec. 24, 2008 vs. Corresponding Days* in 2007
    Total U.S. - Home/Work/University Locations
    Source: comScore Media Metrix
    Unique Visitors (000)
                                                                    Percent
                                      2007            2008           Change
    Total Internet                  171,113         179,997            5%
    eBay                             88,894          85,442           -4%
    Amazon Sites                     70,975          76,240            7%
    Wal-Mart                         49,632          51,546            4%
    Target Corporation               47,338          46,837           -1%
    Apple Inc.                       29,450          35,017           19%
    Best Buy Sites                   28,602          28,555            0%
    JCPenney Sites                   21,329          18,918          -11%
    Toysrus Sites                    19,817          18,075           -9%
    Sears.com                        18,010          18,413            2%
    Circuit City Stores, Inc.        19,466          15,456          -21%
    Overstock.com                    18,911          15,951          -16%
    AmericanGreetings Property       17,273          14,666          -15%
    Hewlett Packard                  15,217          19,425           28%
    Dell                             17,279          14,305          -17%
    Macy's Inc.                      15,715          15,868            1%

    *Corresponding days based on corresponding shopping days (Oct. 27 - Dec.
     19, 2007)

    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 ($)
                                                                      Pct
                                      2007            2008           Change
    January - October               $93,551        $102,144            9%
    November 1 - December 23*       $26,332         $25,537           -3%
    November 27 (Thanksgiving Day)*    $273            $288            6%
    November 28 (Black Friday)*        $531            $534            1%
    December 1 (Cyber Monday)*         $733            $846           15%
    Heaviest Online Shopping Day       $881            $887
                                   (Dec. 10)        (Dec. 9)           1%

    * Versus Corresponding Shopping Days in 2007 Relative to Thanksgiving

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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