Signs of a Slowdown in E-Commerce

There are signs of a slowdown in online retailing.

As Lehman’s Douglas Anmuth reports in a note Friday morning, new ComScore data shows e-commerce grew 12.7% in February from a year earlier. “”This data continues to suggest more significant overall slowing of e-commerce growth,” a trend which began last month when January e-commerce grew 11.3%, down from 16% in Q1 and 18% in Q3. Quarter to date, e-commerce is up 13%. Anmuth says the data “lends further support to the believe that a slowdown has begun to impact online retail.”

Anmuth says the data suggests “headwinds in the online retail space” for companies like Amazon (AMZN), eBay (EBAY) and Blue Nile (NILE), and potentially for Google (GOOG) and Yahoo (YHOO) - no need to search for things you’re not going to buy.

Ex-travel, e-commerce grew 14.3% in February.

Strong areas included consumer electronics, up 47% quarter to date, video games, up 86%, and event tickets, up 64%.

Weak areas included apparel, up 7%, computers, down 5%; home and garden, up 4%; jewelery and watches, up 6%; and music/movies/video, down 3%.

Comments

[Ames Tiedeman]

Thanks for telling us what the action in GOOG stock has been telling everyone for the past 3 months.

[Lisa]

"Strong areas included consumer electronics" -- presumably that means Apple.

[steveballmer]

Just wait until we buy Yahoo!