2006: The Year of the Procrastinator The flow of online holiday retail spending in 2006, as compared to the previous year, demonstrated that online consumers pushed their buying later than ever.
Spending growth during the first third of the season (Weeks 1-3) rose a modest 23 percent above 2005 levels, despite the week before Thanksgiving, which saw robust 30-percent growth versus the corresponding week in 2005. The middle third of the season (Weeks 4-6), during which the greatest share of holiday e-commerce spending occurred, was consistent with the 26-percent growth demonstrated during the course of the season as a whole.
The final three weeks of the holiday season (Weeks 7-9) saw a major surge in spending as the procrastinators came out in full force, driving a 31-percent increase versus the corresponding weeks in 2005. The week leading up to Christmas (week ending December 24, 2006) saw the biggest surge with a 45-percent increase versus the corresponding week a year ago, as consumers showed their faith in online retailers' ability to 'deliver the goods' in time for Christmas.
marketing@alchempro.com
