For all you schmucks who think America is passing through a grueling recession, we have some news for ya.
The supposedly down on their luck Americans have already spent $31 billion online in the first 46 days of the holiday season, a 15% increase over the same period last year, according to comScore.
And mind you the holiday season ain’t over and we’re not counting brick-and-mortar sales.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday witnessed a 26% and 22% rise in sales this year.
The comScore number crunchers estimate that the most recent work week (Dec. 12-16) saw four individual days surpass $1 billion in spending, led by Green Monday (Monday, December 12) with $1.13 billion and Free Shipping Day (Friday, December 16) with $1.07 billion.
comScore reckons that with the heaviest portion of the season behind us, Cyber Monday (November 28) will likely rank as the biggest online spending day of the year for the second consecutive season.
Free shipping has been a major driver of online shopping in the 2011 holiday season shopping as well, just as it has been in recent years.
comScore thinks discounts and free shipping may have been ‘frontloaded’ during the earlier portion of the 2011 holiday shopping season compared to last year.
What are They Spending On?
comScore does not address the question of what consumers are buying online.
But given human folly and the acquisitive impulse of this era we can hazard a guess that much of the online spending is on useless, frivolous junk like iPads, iPods, big-screen LED TVs, perfumes and the like.
All of which we can comfortably live without. But, alas, we don’t in our reckless march of folly.
What Recession? Americans Spend $31b in Online Holiday Season Shopping Frenzy added by SearchIndia.com on
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I am guilty of starting November off with an iPhone and then went on to get an iPad-killa, a 3D TV, a midrange DSLR and a variety of streaming media players, sound system. What if 2012 turns out to be true?!
SearchIndia.com Responds:
1. You write: What if 2012 turns out to be true?!
Hope you got all those goodies with a credit card. That way, if the apocalyptic events indeed happen you won’t have to fret ever about repayments or calls from collection agencies. 😉
2. You write: I …. then went on to get an iPad-killa, a 3D TV
But your 3D TV won’t let you accommodate Felicity Fey aka Svetlana Pashenko on your lap.
Only an iPad allows the eight-core Ukrainian babe to play havoc on your laptop.
Off-topic: Thank God for Winter. The powers that be here dictate we can’t drink until it gets dark. Now, we can start as early as 4:30PM on good days! 😉
The powers don’t drink? Winter sucks balls.
As 2011 is drawing to a close, what is your pick for the “Song of the Year”? Looks like Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” is winning many votes.. but I don’t think it is great. http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2011/12/list-watch-can-m83-upset-adele-for-best-song-of-2011.html
I like Midnight City better.
SearchIndia.com Responds:
We’re not smitten with either of them.
But if forced to choose between the two, we’d plump for Rolling in the Deep in a heartbeat.
Will listen to others as well to see if they pass muster with us.
The Vic Secret ad http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0fA9nIdqiE may have swayed my vote..