US online sales reached $50 bln

US shoppers spent more than $50bn shopping online in 2003, new figures show. The numbers from the US Commerce Department indicates online shopping grew by 26.3% from the year before. E-commerce occupied 1.6% of total retail spending of $3.5 trillion, up from 1.3% in 2003. The sales were concentrated in the final three months of the year, when holiday shopping meant e-commerce made up almost 2% of total spending. Overall, retail sales grew 5.4% through 2003.