The holiday season of 2011 proved to be extremely fruitful and successful for online retailers. ComScore reports that online retail sales jumped 15 percent in November and December to a total of $37.2 billion in revenue.
Many analysts and retail experts predicted that 2011 would prove to have a better online holiday shopping record — especially after very positive Black Friday numbers in November. Thus, those predictions have been vindicated.
More so, it would seem that Cyber Monday has again outshone Black Friday as the heaviest online spending day of the year with revenues toppling $1.25 billion. That should make for some interesting promotional strategies later in 2012.
Black Friday only rung up $816 million — although that shouldn’t be terribly slighted as it was a 26 percent increase from $648 million in 2010.
Although these dates might be unfamiliar (at least by nickname) to most consumers, Green Monday and Free Shipping Day also proved to be solid earners with $1.133 billion and $1.072 billion, respectively.
It would be premature to argue that online retail in general is safe and sound. After all, the quarter after the holiday season tends to slump, and we all have our personal spending budgets left to reassess in the wake of buying gifts, travel and parties.
Nevertheless, these numbers are a welcome change from 2010 and before for retailers — even those not online. ComScore reports that brick-and-mortar holiday retail were estimated to have grown by 4 percent last year.
Related:
- Email discounts up 30 percent this holiday season (report)
- Most millennials in favor of electronic games while on the runway (survey)
- Consumers relying on mobile shopping to save money (survey)
- U.S. smartphone owners gravitate towards mobile shopping (survey)
- Nearly half of holiday mobile shoppers are frustrated (survey)
