Christmas bestsellers for online stores: toys, games, home & garden

Goldman Sachs, Harris Interactive and Nielsen/NetRatings teamed up on a survey estimating online sales in 2004. Categories that could see the most growth this holiday season include:

• Toys and games, as larger retailers attempt to capture sales from specialty players.
• Home and garden, as retailers introduce significant functionality to their sites.
• Computers and consumer electronics, as shoppers seek detailed product and price information before purchasing items.
• Brick and mortar retailer/apparel, as shoppers try out products in-store before buying them online.
• Books, music and DVDs, driven by big-name holiday releases and affordable price points.

According to the eSpending Report released in January 2004, online shoppers spent a record $18.5 bln online, excluding travel, during the 2003 holiday season, reflecting a 30% year-over-year increase in spending. The apparel, toys/video games (hardware and software), consumer electronics, computer hardware and peripherals, and videos/DVDs categories generated the greatest revenue. Online shoppers spent $3.7 bln on apparel, $2.2 bln on toys/video games (hardware and software), and $2 bln on consumer electronics. Consumer hardware and peripherals also attracted attention from online surfers generating revenue of $1.7 bln. Videos/DVDs also had a strong season in 2003 with online shoppers spending $1.6 bln.