On-Line Shoppers Bought the Most this Past Holiday Season

ON-LINE SHOPPERS STOLE THE SHOW

So what did shoppers spend money on this past holiday season?  MasterCard says the biggest growth categories were jewelry and children’s apparel. Meanwhile Amazon, which accounts for about 1/3 of online sales in the U.S. on a normal day, disclosed that jackets — namely fleece, cotton andpolyester jackets from Columbia and Carhartt — were bestsellers in the women’s apparel category, and that Levi’s jeans were the top sellers in the men’s. Silver was a big seller in jewelry: The top sellers were sterling silver and amethyst flower earrings, a sterling silver “I Love You to the Moon and Back” pendant necklace (now sold out) and a silver Alex and Ani charm bracelet, still available in gold. In women’s shoes, Ugg-like shearling boots fromBearpaw were top sellers. Beauty bestsellers were more varied, including the Infiniti Pro by Conair Curl Secret, D&G Light Blue by Dolce & Gabbana’s eau de toilette spray and the Olay Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System.

Collectively, the 3.5 percent sales increase seen this past holiday matches the growth rate seen between the 2011 and 2012 holiday seasons. Retailers, however, were expecting a slightly bigger jump in sales this year: In October, the National Retail Federation predicted that holiday retail sales would rise 3.9 percent. 

But it’s online retailers who stole the show this past holiday season. Together, they saw growth in the double digits throughout the holiday season — including a 39 percent increase in sales on Thanksgiving Day and a 16.5 percent increase on Christmas Day. Not a good sign for Shopping Malls and Retailers, but you just don't know how shoes will feel until you put them on , do you?