Online Holiday Spending Totals $19.9Billion

U.S. consumers have spent $19.9 billion online so far this holiday season, according to a report released Monday by digital researcher comScore. The newest figure marks a 3 percent increase from the corresponding days in 2008, as well as a 30 percent increase from the total online spending figure released by comScore last week.

In the past week U.S. online holiday shopping has totaled $4.6 billion. On two separate days during the week, sales exceeded $800 million. On December 8, sales totaled $828 million, followed by December 10, when sales reached $852 million.

Cyber Monday (November 30) was the best online retail day this season, with sales reaching $887 million.  

“Although this most recent week of holiday shopping did not produce the first $900 million spending day, we saw above average growth rates including a strong end to the week,” said comScore Chairman Gian Fulgoni. “Monday, December 14 – otherwise known as Green Monday – is likely to produce our heaviest online spending total for the season and represents our best opportunity to finally surpass that elusive $900 million spending threshold.”

Substantive increases, compared to 2008, were recorded on Thanksgiving Day (November 26), Black Friday (November 27) and Cyber Monday (November 30).

Thanksgiving Day brought in $318 million in sales, a 10 percent increase, and Black Friday online sales totaled $595 million, marking an 11 percent increase from last year. Cyber Monday’s whopping $887 million in retail spending marked a 5 percent increase from 2008.