US online holiday spending reached $19.9 billion for the first 41 days of the November-December holiday season, a 3% increase over the same period last year, according to comScore.
The most recent week generated above-average online spending growth of 4% compared with the same period last year, as two individual days surpassed $800 million in spending, led by Thursday, December 10, with $852 million. However, the week did not produce the first $900 million spending day, as many retailers had hoped it would.
Online retailers are now focused on the early part of this week (ending December 19), which is forecast to bring the heaviest online shopping of the season, before consumers refocus their attention to brick-and-mortar retail locations to finish their shopping.
Thirteen spending days have eclipsed $800 million each, and all of them have occurred during the past three holiday seasons. Of the top ten spending days on record, four have occurred in 2009, four in 2008, and two in 2007.
The heaviest online spending day on record is Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2008 with $887 million, which squeaked by Monday, Nov. 30, 2009 (Cyber Monday) by a quirk of rounding. With $886 million in spending, Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009 was on a par with those highs.
