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RAPAPORT... The bright spot in early Christmas-season retail for a fifth consecutive year comes from strong online sales as more U.S. consumers shop for deals and gifts from the comfort of their homes or offices. According to comScore Inc., ecommerce sales from retailers for the November 1 through December 2 timeframe jumped 8 percent year on year to $23.9 billion. The group also recorded strong sales increases from online shopping during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and on Cyber Monday, which was December 2. Online sales jumped 21 percent on Thanksgiving Day to $766 million, rose 15 percent on Black Friday to $1.2 billion and jumped 34 percent to $1.6 billion for the weekend of November 30 and December 1. Cyber Monday's retail sales increased 18 percent year on year to $1.74 billion, setting a record high for a single day, according to comScore. Gian Fulgoni, the chairman of comScore, said, "While it's true that many retailers are bleeding their Cyber Monday promotions into the weekend before and the days afterward, Cyber Monday itself continues to be the most important day of the online Christmas shopping season. That said, we did also see evidence of early promotions pulling some dollars forward into the weekend, so it is possible that Cyber Monday could have even been stronger were it not for the emergence of this trend." While jewelry did not make comScore's top sales growth categories yet this season, consumer electronics, video games, home and garden items, apparel and accessories and sports and fitness equipment have all proven to be strong selling categories online.
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