• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, November 13, 2004

Online Holiday Sales 25% Better Than Last Year

Last week's Brief on the Holidays was the "whys" of expectations. Here's the latest "whats" from the current comScore Networks release of its forecast of online consumer spending for the 2004 holiday season. comScore reports that consumer spending on non-travel goods at U.S. Web sites will exceed $15 billion during the November through December holiday season, representing growth of approximately 23% to 26% over the 2003 season. comScore also expects that total quarterly non-travel spending will cross the $20 billion threshold for the first time in Q4 2004.

Non-Travel Online Consumer Spending

	2003 (bil$)	2004 (bil$)	% Change
Year-to-date (through Oct 17)	$38.7	$48.2	25%
Holiday Season (Nov/Dec)	$12.3	$15.1-15.5*	23-26%*
Q4 2004	$16.7	$20.7-21.1*	24-26%*
Full Year	$52.9	$65.8-66.2*	25%*

Source: comScore Networks
*comScore Networks forecast (Excludes Auctions and Large Corporate Purchases)

Dan Hess, senior vice president of comScore Networks, says "We believe consumers' growing familiarity and confidence with online shopping, coupled with a dramatic increase in broadband penetration and continuing efforts by retailers to simplify the shopping process across channels, will translate to substantial gains for online merchants again this year."

Fastest Growing Product Categories Year-to-Date through September

	2003(mil$)	2004(mil$)	% Change
Jewelry & Watches	$443	$739	67%
Furniture, Appliances & Equipment	$1,083	$1,707	58%
Computer Software (ex. PC Games)	$857	$1,228	43%
Flowers, Greetings & Misc Gifts	$782	$1,118	43%
Home & Garden	$1,058	$1,352	28%

Source: comScore Networks (Excludes Auctions and Large Corporate Purchases)

You can find out more here.