comScore: Desktop holiday spending reaches new heights

So far this holiday season, consumers are turning to their desktop PCs for shopping more than ever before.



According to new data from comScore, through the first 36 days of the November-December 2015 holiday season (Nov. 1 – Dec. 6), desktop spend totaled $35.36 billion. This marks a 6% increase from $33.38 billion for the equivalent period in 2014. Although rate of year-over-year growth is below the 9% previously predicted by comScore, the total figure still sets a new record.



In addition, Cyber Week (the week beginning with Cyber Monday Nov. 30 through Sunday, Dec. 6) recorded $9.7 billion in desktop spending, up 7% from $9.1 billion the same week the prior year. This also marked the fourth time ever and first time in 2015 there were five days of $1 billion or more in desktop spending in the same work week.



These days were also part of a larger nine-day stretch of days with $1 billion or more in desktop spending, starting with Thanksgiving (Nov. 26) and running through Friday, Dec. 4. This marks the first time there has ever been nine consecutive days of $1 billion-plus desktop spending. Total desktop spend for the period was $14.66 billion, up 7% from $13.65 billion the same period a year earlier.



“Online holiday commerce continues to perform very well through Cyber Week, and the holiday season remains on pace to reach our original forecast of 9% annual growth on desktop and 14% overall,” said Gian Fulgoni, comScore chairman emeritus. “We believe that next week (week of Dec. 14), which is bookended with ‘Green Monday’ and ‘Free Shipping Day,’ should see a flurry of late-season activity that will help make up a lot of ground for the season.