Ecommerce sales rose 17% in first quarter

HTT Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 5/10/2012 10:32:02 AM

Reston, Va. - Retail ecommerce sales posted their 10th consecutive quarter of positive year-over-year growth during the first quarter, up 17% to $44.3 billion, according to digital analytics firm comScore Inc.
"The first quarter of this year was especially strong for retail e-commerce as we returned to year-over-year growth rates in the high teens, numbers we haven't seen since 2007," said comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni.
Although the overall economic recovery is slow, "the channel shift to ecommerce appears to be accelerating, he added.
Nearly half (48.8%) of all ecommerce transactions during the quarter included free shipping - the highest incident of this perk outside the fourth quarter. "Only Q4 2011 (51.8 percent) and Q4 2010 (49.3 percent) have been higher overall," comScore reported.
The most popular online shopping categories for the period included digital content and subscriptions, computer software, consumer electronics, jewelry, watches and event tickets.
The use of tablets for ecommerce is also on the rise, with 38% of tablet owners using their devices to make purchases. Apparel was the most frequently purchased category in this shopping segment.