2005: Fantastic Finish

Ahh, the end of December when Steeler fans remember Franco Harris and the Immaculate Reception. Ecommerce also saw a fantastic finish. Online holiday sales were up 30% over last year. Face it, online shopping is becoming more and more popular. In a few years it will be second nature, just like looking up the weather or using Google.

What was interesting is that the season saw peaks in online shopping on Mondays. Experts believe shopper went window shopping at retail stores over the weekends then bought online on Monday (probably for less $$$). Did you do this? I know I paid the same price for one purchase when I included shipping. However the store didn't have the item in stock so I would have had to make another trip - thus I went online and got the same item with 'express' shipping for the same price.
Another interesting fact was the buying season was extended. Online purchasing falls off quickly towards Xmas as consumers fear the goods won't be delivered in time. However this year the decline wasn't as sharp as consumers are more confident in shipping. Merchants are also offering more shipping options and UPS, Fedex etc now have excellent online order tracking.

What did people buy online? Clothes, computers and hardware, then electronics. The last two categories jumped over 100% since last year! These figures are all in sales $$$. So the comparison is influenced by item price. Last time I checked Versace didn't do much online business :-)

Anywho, it was a great season for online retailers. Now back to another 10 months of 'normal' online sales. And don't forget to root on PENN STATE tonight in the bowl game...

WE ARE ... PENN STATE

-Tallyho