Amazon, Apple Shine in Otherwise Down E-Holiday Season

Online holiday sales deflated 3 percent this year. ComScore estimates that holiday sales in the U.S. totaled $25.5 billion between November 1 and December 23, the last day orders could be delivered in time for Christmas. The comparable total in 2007 was $26.3 billion.

Sales were struggling to keep up with last year’s totals all holiday season. In the end, they fell short. (Hitwise comes to the same conclusion).

A simple look at U.S. traffic to retail sites in December through Christmas Eve (see table below) shows that eBay (EBAY) had the most unique visitors (85.4 million), followed by Amazon (AMZN) (76.2 million), and Wal-Mart (WMT) (51.5 million). Even though eBay attracted the most people, its traffic was down 4 percent from last year. Amazon saw 7 percent more visitors, which might have contributed to its claiming to have a great Christmas.

But the retail sites that saw the biggest increases in visitors was Apple (AAPL) (up 19 percent) and Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) (up 28 percent). Dell (DELL), in contrast, saw a 17 percent decline in visitors.

(Photo by Randy Son of Robert)

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Comments

[mollytjm:]

Let's hope the stock price reflects Apples great growth and profit.

Jan 01 10:52 AM

[Louie Junior:]

Amazon didn't claim to have a great Christmas -- they said unit sales were higher than last year on the busiest day. You are the one who said they had a great christmas. I think you are going to be surprised and disappointed in three weeks when they announce single-digit revenue growth.

Jan 01 03:01 PM

[bookman:]

The Overstock number is a horrible harbinger for them. One would think in the bargain shark like atmosphere that this site would of at least maintained its '07 hits. Curious to see some views to actual checkout numbers though.

Jan 01 06:01 PM

[SivBum:]

Dell numbers fishy per table shown.

Jan 02 10:49 AM

[SivBum:]

never mind...who knows why.

Jan 02 10:50 AM