US online sales reach $20bn
Online retail sales have reached $20 billion since 1 November, but retail sales have softened somewhat during this current week, according to the metrics firm.
The strongest overall spending gains have been driven by the mid-income households, or those earning $50 000 to $99 999, at 19%, while spending among upper-income households, or those earning more than $100 000, is growing at a rate of 16%.
Lower-income households, those earning less than $50 000, are seeing a more modest increase of 9%.
Retailers such as eBay, Amazon and even J Crew have offered or will keep offering exclusive online deals this month, reports USA Today.
EBay's '25 Days of Deals' offers customers steep discounts on items including an Apple iPhone 4S and Sony Blu-ray system.
J Crew promoted 25% off everything and free shipping on Monday, online only. Shoppers are attracted to completing purchases on the Web not just for convenience but for added perks such as free shipping and not having to pay sales tax on many sites, says Andrew Lipsman, vice president of industry analysis at ComScore.
Unlike in the past couple of years when the growth in number of buyers was the predominant driver of online spending growth, the majority of this year's gains are being driven by an increase in spending per buyer, says CBR.
In fact, the number of buyers overall has increased just 3% compared to a 12% increase in dollars per buyer.
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