comScore: Q1 digital spend hits $63.4 billion; desktop up 12%, mobile 23%

Reston, Va. -- Desktop e-commerce spending in the first quarter of 2014 rose 12% year-over-year to $56.1 billion, marking the eighteenth consecutive quarter of positive year-over-year growth and fourteenth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth, according to comScore. M-commerce spending on smartphones and tablets added $7.3 billion for the quarter, up 23% vs. year ago, for a digital commerce spending total of $63.4 billion in the first quarter.



Other highlights from the first quarter included:



• The top-performing online product categories were: apparel & accessories, consumer packaged goods, sport & fitness, digital content & subscriptions, and home & garden. Each category grew at least 13% vs. year ago.



• Desktop E-commerce accounted for 11.7% of consumers' discretionary spending, the highest first quarter share on record.



• Of the additional $7.3 billion in mobile commerce (m-commerce), purchasing using smartphones accounted for 62% vs. 38% from tablets.



"Q1 e-commerce and m-commerce spending growth have seen a modest acceleration versus the fourth quarter, which is a positive sign in light of overall softness in consumer discretionary spending across the broader U.S. economy during the early part of the year," said comScore chairman emeritus Gian Fulgoni.