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RAPAPORT... Online retail sales for January through October 2006 in the United States were up 24 percent -- a trend comScore Networks predicts will continue through holiday shopping season. Retail website traffic for Christmas season is up 12 percent and spending is up 24 percent to $11.7 billion the organization reported through December 1, 2006.
“Online consumer spending during the holiday season continues to surge, growing 24 percent versus a year ago,” said Gian Fulgoni, chairman of comScore Networks. “Buoyed by strong consumer spending during recent days like Cyber Monday (November 27, 2006) and Tuesday November 28th –- which each saw $608 million in spending -– online sales have been strong throughout the holiday season.”
In Europe, comScore determined that web traffic to retail websites based in France have experienced the largest gains in the first three weeks of Christmas season, capped off by a 79 percent gain in cyber shopping traffic. Retail sites in the United Kingdom registered a 65 percent increase, and in Germany websites experienced a 63 percent increase. Amazon and Apple Computer, consistently appear in each country’s list of top sites, demonstrating the global appeal of these two brands.
“While cyber shopping visits rose most quickly in Germany during the first week of the holiday shopping season, online shoppers in France have since become more active,” said Bob Ivins, managing director of comScore Europe.
“These gains show that consumers armed with high-speed access and positive online retail experiences are increasingly comfortable shopping online,” commented Ivins. “As online spending continues to grow and account for a larger percentage of total consumer spending, the growth in online shopping could be the difference between a good Christmas and a great Christmas for many online retailers.”
In France, three retail sites accounted for nearly half of all cyber shopping activity during the week ending November 26. Groupe PPR (owner of Fnac.com and La Redoute) captured 22 percent of cyber shopping visits in France. Online super store, CDISCOUNT.com, captured 15 percent to of cyber shopping visits, and 10 percent of all cyber-shopping visits generated by French Internet users went to Amazon Sites.
Cyber shopping visits across the United Kingdom were led by online super stores, including GUS (owner of Argus and Burberry,) which captured the highest share in the category (11 percent.) Amazon Sites followed with 10 percent of all cyber-shopping visits, and Tesco Stores captured 7 percent.
Germany's cyber shopping activity spiked in the most recent week (up 63 percent.) The category was led during the week ending November 26 by Web.DE Shopping, which accounted for 16 percent of total visits, followed by Amazon Sites, which accounted for 12 percent, and Otto Gruppe, which captured 9 percent.
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