U.S. shoppers spent $7B online last week -- busiest 5 days ever
Online spending is up more than 13 percent this holiday shopping season, according to new data from ComScore.
The past week was the heaviest five-day online shopping period in U.S. history, according to a new report that shows consumers are spending more online than they did last year.
During the week of December 8 through 14, U.S. consumers spent $6.9 billion online, an 11 percent increase over 2011, according to data released today by market analyst ComScore.
"This past workweek saw four days surpass the billion dollar spending threshold during the heaviest five-day online shopping period on record," ComScore Chairman Gian Fulgoni said in a statement. "With this most recent week in the books, the peak spending period may now be in our rear-view-mirror."
Overall, consumers have spent $33.8 billion online during the holiday shopping season to date, a 13 percent increase over the same period last year. During that time, retailers tallied more than $1 billion in sales on 11 days, already surpassing last year's shopping season total of 10 days with more than $1 billion in online sales.
Fulgoni suggested that the record online shopping may not yet be over. He expects "Free Shipping Day" tomorrow to turn in another banner day when procrastinators scramble to get gifts ordered in time to get them delivered in time for Christmas.
The new figures are the latest in a string of upbeat sales numbers recorded by online retailers this holiday shopping season. Bargain hunters spent $1.042 billion online the day after Thanksgiving, a 26 percent increase over last year's Black Friday. Just a few days later, consumers would spend to a U.S. record $1.465 billion on Cyber Monday, up 17 percent from a year ago.