RESTON, VA – comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, released its Q2 2012 U.S. retail e-commerce sales estimates, showing that online retail spending reached $43.2 billion for the quarter, up 15 percent versus year ago. This represents the eleventh consecutive quarter of positive year-over-year growth and seventh consecutive quarter of double-digit growth.
| Retail E-Commerce (Non-Travel) Growth Rates Excludes Auctions, Autos and Large Corporate Purchases Total U.S. – Home & Work Locations Source: comScore, Inc. |
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| Quarter | E-Commerce Spending ($ Millions) | Y/Y Percent Change |
| Q1 2007 | $27,970 | 17% |
| Q2 2007 | $27,176 | 23% |
| Q3 2007 | $28,441 | 23% |
| Q4 2007 | $39,132 | 19% |
| Q1 2008 | $31,178 | 11% |
| Q2 2008 | $30,581 | 13% |
| Q3 2008 | $30,274 | 6% |
| Q4 2008 | $38,071 | -3% |
| Q1 2009 | $31,031 | 0% |
| Q2 2009 | $30,169 | -1% |
| Q3 2009 | $29,552 | -2% |
| Q4 2009 | $39,045 | 3% |
| Q1 2010 | $33,984 | 10% |
| Q2 2010 | $32,942 | 9% |
| Q3 2010 | $32,133 | 9% |
| Q4 2010 | $43,432 | 11% |
| Q1 2011 | $38,002 | 12% |
| Q2 2011 | $37,501 | 14% |
| Q3 2011 | $36,308 | 13% |
| Q4 2011 | $49,698 | 14% |
| Q1 2012 | $44,282 | 17% |
| Q2 2012 | $43,153 | 15% |
“While the second quarter’s 15-percent growth rate couldn’t quite match the especially high growth rate from the first quarter, it was nevertheless almost four times higher than the growth in overall consumer spending, a sign of continued strength in the e-commerce channel,” said comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni. “That said, although e-commerce remains strong, we are taking a cautious view of the second half of the year in light of some renewed signs of economic uncertainty and a stubbornly high unemployment rate. In fact, consumer perception of the economy has recently deteriorated, with 56 percent now viewing economic conditions as poor, up from a level of 49 percent three months ago. So, even as commerce increasingly shifts to the online channel, any significant future pullback in overall consumer spending could dampen the strong double-digit growth rates we’ve been experiencing for the year-to-date.”
Other highlights from Q2 2012 include:
- The top-performing online product categories were: Digital Content & Subscriptions, Consumer Electronics, Flowers, Greetings & Gifts, Computer Hardware and Apparel & Accessories. Each category grew at least 16 percent vs. year ago.
- 42 percent of e-commerce transactions included free shipping, representing a seasonal pullback from the Q4 2011 high of 52 percent.
About comScore
comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) is a global leader in measuring the digital world and preferred source of digital business analytics. For more information, please visit www.comscore.com/companyinfo.