Online spending spikes during final holiday week

Having only a few days left to order gifts to arrive by Christmas day didn't stop shoppers from hitting the 'Net. Rather than hurrying off to the local mall, more shoppers logged on to the Internet to grab those last minute gifts.

by Kristina Knight

Last holiday week sales increased 25% year over year.

comScore Chairman Gian Fulgoni. “At this point of the season, the heaviest online spending days are now well behind us. However, with some online retailers offering deliveries before Christmas for orders placed by December 22, and in-store pickup available for orders placed on Christmas Eve, we expect to see above average growth rates continue through the holiday.”

More than $26 billion was spent through the week ending December 18th, a 19% increase over 2006 spending levels. Green Monday (December 10) was the largest online shopping day with shoppers spending roughly $881 million, an increase of 33% over the same day in 2006. Cyber Monday (November 26th) was the ninth-heaviest shopping day, bringing in $733 million.

For the year, online shoppers spent about $93.6 billion from January through October, an increase of 21% year over year. From November through December shoppers spent more than $25 billion online, an increase of 20% from 2006.