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RAPAPORT... Digital metrics firm comScore Inc. estimated that desktop-based ecommerce retail sales jumped 16 percent year on year to $49.8 billion for the second quarter that ended on June 30. The figure excludes travel, auctions, automobiles, corporate purchases and retail sales conducted through a mobile device. U.S. consumers spent $4.7 billion with retailers via a mobile device such as smartphones and tablets, an increase of 24 percent from one year ago. Apparel and accessories was the highest grossing m-commerce product category, followed by computer hardware and digital content and subscriptions. Gian Fulgoni, comScore's chairman, said, “Increased spending growth for the quarter not only reflects the long-term share shift towards digital commerce, but also the near-term signals of sustained improvement in consumer sentiment. This strength is particularly significant since the second quarter tends to be seasonally lighter for ecommerce and, as such, represents a positive indicator for the back half of the year.” The top-performing online product categories in terms of desk-top purchases in the second quarter were apparel and accessories, digital content and subscriptions, sport and fitness, packaged goods and home and garden. Each of those categories grew at least 19 percent year on year. Ecommerce accounted for 9.6 percent of consumers’ discretionary spending during the period, representing the highest second quarter share on record, according to comScore, which has been tracking ecommerce spending since 2007.
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