Retailers already had a good idea that the amount of money spent shopping online in the fourth quarter of 2011 was up significantly compared to the previous year – comScore reported shortly after the beginning of the new year that Americans spent more than $34 million buying goods through the web in November and December.<\/p>\n
The digital measurement firm recently released a new study which gives a clearer picture of total online expenditures. ComScore found that $49.6 billion was spent shopping online during the fourth quarter of 2011, marking yet another double-digit quarter-over-quarter spending increase. For 2011 as a whole, more than $161.5 billion was spent online.<\/p>\n
"The fourth quarter of 2011 capped off what was yet another strong year for online retail, one in which every quarter achieved double-digit increases versus the prior year," said comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni. "In the face of continuing uncertainty regarding the U.S. economy, consumers increasingly went online for their shopping needs."<\/p>\n
ComScore's report further highlights the need to have at least a basic ecommerce platform in place, whether it's a full-blown online store or a simple merchant portal on Facebook.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Retailers already had a good idea that the amount of money spent shopping online in the fourth quarter of 2011 was up significantly compared to the previous year. Continue reading