ComScore Inc. reports that jewelry and watches ranked as the top-performing online retail category for the 2009 holiday season, besting other categories - including electronics, which typically represents one of jewelry's stiffest competitors, according to the National Jeweler.
According to the report from comScore, a Reston, Va.-based digital metrics firm, online sales of jewelry and watches rose 20 percent in terms of dollar sales in 2009, a marked improvement over 2008, when sales plummeted 29 percent.
Consumer electronics - bolstered by a desire for flat-panel TVs, mobile devices and e-readers - ranked second, with 15 percent growth, followed by event tickets, with 8 percent growth, computer hardware, at 7 percent, and books and magazines, at 6 percent.
The numbers for jewelry were also strong in brick-and-mortar stores, according to a newly released report from SpendingPulse, an information service of MasterCard Advisors, which estimates sales for all forms of payment, including cash, checks and credit cards.
The service reported that jewelry sales increased 6.9 percent over 2008, although the sector continued to be a mixed bag, with high- and lower-end jewelry sellers faring better than mid-tier, mall-based stores, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times which quoted Michael McNamara, vice president for research and analysis at SpendingPulse. The same SpendingPulse report placed sales of electronics as being up 7.3 percent, year over year.
National Jeweler is also seeking retailers to participate in its annual, exclusive year-end retail survey, through which retailers can report their results anonymously.
According to comScore, online consumers spent a total of $29.1 billion in November and December, a 4 percent increase over 2008 holiday spending.
ComScore Chairman Gian Fulgoni said in the release that this growth surpassed the firm's expectations for the holiday season but noted that there are still problems in the economy that will carry over into the new year.
"Among the highlights of the season was the first $900 million online spending day and a strong late-season spending surge, propelled by effective retailer promotions, guaranteed shipping and a major snowstorm on the eastern seaboard that convinced many to shop from the comfort of home," Fulgoni said in the release. "It's possible that this better-than-expected end-of-year performance is a harbinger of renewed vigor and optimism for 2010 as the consumer economy seeks to rebound from one of the worst years in memory. At the same time, we need to remember that consumers' spending power remains constrained by high unemployment levels, substantial debt and a newfound desire to save."
Looking at the holiday season on a day-by-day basis, comScore data shows that Tuesday, Dec. 15, termed "Green Tuesday," was the strongest day for online sales during the holiday season. Consumers spent a total of $913 million online this day, up from $754 million last year, a 21 percent increase.
"Cyber Monday," Monday, Nov. 30, ranked as the second heaviest spending day of the season, the highest it has ever ranked on the list, coming in with $887 million in spending.
The third heaviest spending day of the year was Tuesday, Dec. 1, which saw consumers plunking down $886 million online, followed by Wednesday, Dec. 16, when shoppers spent $874 million online, and "Green Monday," Monday, Dec. 14, when online shoppers spent $854 million, according to comScore.
