According to the holiday e-spending report from Goldman Sachs, Harris Interactive and Nielsen//NetRatings, US online consumers blew $23.2bn in the run-up to Christmas – a rise of 25 per cent from a year ago. Most of the cash went on clothing, toys, video games and consumer electronics, while items like jewellery, flowers and computer gear made big gains.
“Online shopping contributed significantly to overall 2004 holiday sales by attracting consumers through a broad product selection,” said Heather Dougherty, senior retail analyst, Nielsen//NetRatings. “Consumers have become accustomed to purchasing online over the years and look to the internet to find comprehensive product information, competitive prices and easy gift delivery, allowing them to have more time to spend on other holiday activities.”
The report said that US online consumers spent some $3.8bn on clothing and $2.5bn on toys and games. Some $2.3bn was spent on consumer electronics during the 1 November to 26 December period.
Meanwhile, US online consumers spent $1.9bn on jewellery, or 113 per cent more than a year ago. Online sales of flowers were up 59 per cent to $530m, while internet sales of computer equipment grew by 30 per cent to $2.1bn.