RESTON, Va., Nov. 20 (UPI) -- Consumer spending on non-travel goods at U.S. Internet sites will exceed $19 billion this holiday season, said comScore Networks.
Online holiday shopping is expected to jump 24 percent over the 2004 season, said Gian Fulgoni, chairman of comScore Networks, which tracks online shopping behavior.
"Expectations across all channels for this holiday season have been dampened slightly by high gas prices and wavering consumer confidence," said Fulgoni.
"However, e-commerce will remain strong as consumers continue to shift more of their holiday spending to the online channel because of the Web's convenience and the savings available through its price comparison capabilities -- not to mention the ability for consumers to save on fuel costs by cutting back on the need to drive to retail stores."
During last year's holiday season, comScore found that familiar names in offline retail -- such as Wal-Mart, Target and Best Buy -- grew significantly more than online-only merchants, driven by strong brands, significant online/offline promotions and in-store pick-up and returns.
