• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, December 19, 2011

According to Allison Enright, Senior Editor at Internet Retailer, analyzing early retail sales by the U.S. Department of Commerce and various retailers, total retail sales increased 6.7% in November, but that sales at non-store retailers increased at more than twice that rate at 13.9%. E-commerce and mail-order sales make up more than 75% of the non-store retailer subsector, the Commerce Department says.

Though total retail sales increased 0.2% from October to November, non-store retail sales grew 1.5%, says the report. The November estimates show that stores continue to lose ground to e-retailers during the critical holiday sales period. Non-store retailer sales accounted for 8.7% of total adjusted retail sales in November, versus 8.2% in November 2010 and 7.8% in November 2009.

Early data for December show the trend continuing. Store sales grew 2.9% year over year for the week ended Dec. 10, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers and Goldman Sachs Weekly Chain Store Sales Index. For the week ending Dec. 9, comScore says online sales increased 15.7% compared to the same period last year. Sales data released by ChannelAdvisor Corp. show that the company’s e-retailer clients experienced an overall sales increase of 19% on “Green Monday,” compared with the same day in 2010.

ComScore estimates that approximately 30% of all consumer electronics sales in the United States are now bought online, and online sales of consumer electronics grew more than 15% during the third quarter versus the same time a year ago.

Best Buy Co. reported that its same-store sales of consumer electronics declined 4.8% during the third quarter ended Nov. 26, compared with the same quarter last year, notes Enright. The electronics retailer also reported that same-store sales (including BestBuy) increased almost 1% during the quarter.

Some retailers announced that they will be extending their hours to capture sales ahead of Christmas:

• Most Sears stores will stayed open until midnight during the Thanksgiving period
• Macy’s says it will have 14 stores open 24 hours a day in the last days before Christmas and another 27 stores will be open until 2 a.m.
• Web-only retailer Amazon.com announced that it is extending its deadline to qualify for free super saver and standard shipping until Dec. 19

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