US e-retail sales have climbed 23% in a year
The comScore report on US e-commerce spending for Q2 2007 showed that non-travel (i.e. retail) e-commerce grew by 23% compared to one year ago, reaching some US$27.2 billion.
Over the same period, online travel spending increased by only 14% to US$20.3 billion, and total US e-commerce spending climbed an average of 19% to reach US$47.5 billion during the year.
E-retail rebounding According to Gian Fulgoni, chairman for comScore, "Retail e-commerce rebounded solidly in the second quarter after a modest start to the year. After posting 17% growth year-on-year in Q1 2007, retail e-commerce sales grew by 23% year-on-year in Q2 2007, continuing to match the growth rates seen over the past couple of years."
The top-gaining e-commerce category in Q2 2007 was video games, consoles & accessories, which jumped by 159% on the strength of Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 3 sales. Sport & fitness also saw substantial gains (up 58%), followed by consumer electronics (up 51%) and event tickets (up 44%).
US e-spending forecast Total US online consumer spending reached US$170.8 billion in 2006, with non-travel spending accounting for US$102.1 billion of that. Based on the first-half growth rates for 2007, total US online consumer spending is forecast to reach a milestone of US$200 billion in 2007.
"Even factoring in the moderate growth rates from Q1 2007, we are currently on target to break the US$200 billion mark in 2007," explained Fulgoni. "However, in the past, we have seen growth rates accelerate as the year progresses, culminating with the online holiday shopping season, so the US$200 billion forecast may even turn out to be a conservative estimate."
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