Daily Peak Shopping Visits Up 27% Versus Last Year
Black Friday marks the beginning of the holiday shopping frenzy, as well as the period when retailers begin earning a profit on yearly sales. While this still holds true for offline retailing, online shopping visits reached a record high this year on Thanksgiving Day, with Black Friday coming second.
According to Hitwise, the world’s leading online competitive intelligence service, shopping and classifieds Web sites claimed 11.39 percent of all U.S. visits on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 25, 2004, breaking the 2003 high of 8.96 percent set on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27, 2003. For the first time, U.S. visits to retail Web sites exceeded 10 percent of total Internet traffic, accounting for 11.39, 11.03 and 10.74 percent, respectively, on Nov. 25, 26 and 27.
“The revelation that Thanksgiving is the busiest day for visits to online shopping sites is a great example of how the Internet is changing not only retailing, but our personal lives,” said Bill Tancer, Vice President of Research, Hitwise. “The data confirm that online shopping has significantly impacted a longstanding shopping tradition.”
Thanksgiving Day Is For Researching Hi-Ticket Items
The market share of U.S. visits to the entire shopping category on Thanksgiving Day this year was up 27 percent versus Thanksgiving Day last year, and shopping visits on Black Friday were up 24 percent year-on-year.
Among the categories of shopping sites with the greatest visit increases on Thanksgiving Day versus Black Friday were: Appliances and Electronics, up 20 percent; and Computer retailers, up 18 percent.
“The dichotomy of visits to retail sites suggests that consumers are researching higher-ticket items such as computers and electronics on Thanksgiving before heading out to stores on Friday,” said Tancer. “Conversely, non-tech items like home goods, books and beauty continue to dominate online shopping traffic on Black Friday.”
Amazon’s Top Holiday Sellers
Amazon has announced the top-selling products since November 1 on the Amazon.com Web site. The following are the top three best-selling items by total unit sales between November 1 and November 23, 2004 (prices quoted here are as of November 24, 2004).
Apparel & Accessories
1. UGG Australia ‘Classic Short’ Boot, $109.95
2. Boston Red Sox 2004 World Series Champions Adjustable Cap, $19.99
3. Geoffrey Beene Wrinkle Free Sateen Solid Dress Shirt —
Point Collar, $24.99
Beauty
1. Britney Spears Curious Fragrance, $20.00-$49.50
2. DuWop Lip Venom, $15.00
3. Philosophy The Gingerbread House (includes gingerbread man body
souffle, foaming gingerbread bubble bath, shower gel, and kiss me
lip balm), $35.00
Books
1. “America (The Book)” by Jon Stewart, $14.97
2. “The Perricone Promise” by Nicholas Perricone, $16.77
3. “The Polar Express” by Chris Van Allsburg, $11.37
Computer & Video Games
1. Halo 2, $47.98
2. Halo 2 Limited Edition, $48.99
3. Game Boy Advance SP, $79.95
DVD
1. “The Lord of the Rings — The Return of the King” (Pre-Order;
Platinum Special Extended Edition), $23.99
2. “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”
(Fullscreen/Widescreen), $17.97
3. “Star Wars Trilogy” (Widescreen Edition), $41.99
Electronics
1. SanDisk SDSDB-512-A10 512 MB Secure Digital Card, $53.89
2. Philips DVP642 DivX-Certified Progressive-Scan DVD Player, $63.94
3. Netgear MR814 802.11b Wireless 4-Port Cable/DSL Router, $34.99
Gourmet Food
1. Cranberry Fool, 11 Ounce Jar, by Caramel Sin, $8.95
2. Holiday Cheer Gift Basket, by Wine Country Gift Baskets, $31.90
3. Ghirardelli Tower Gift Basket, by Wine Country Gift Baskets,
$25.90
Home & Garden
1. Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized 12-Inch Everyday Pan with Lid,
$24.95
2. Fire and Ice Thermos Grill by Char-Broil, $148.00
3. Matfer Exopat Nonstick Baking/Roasting Sheet, $9.99
Jewelry & Watches
1. Sterling Silver and Swarovski Crystal Heart Pendant on Satin Cord,
16″, by Paris Hilton, $35.00
2. Floating Heart Pendant With Diamond, by Samuel Jewelers, $39.99
3. Freshwater Cultured Potato Pearl 9.0-10.0mm Necklace and
9.0-9.5mm Stud Earring Set, by Amazon.com Collection $29.00
Music
1. “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb”, U2, $10.99
2. “Stardust…The Great American Songbook: Volume III”, Rod Stewart,
$13.49
3. “Merry Christmas With Love”, Clay Aiken, $13.99
Sports & Outdoor
1. 500-Piece 11.5g Clay Composite Poker Chip Set, by Cheapcues Poker,
$79.99
2. Ab Lounge 2 Abdominal Exerciser, by Fitness Quest, $89.99
3. “Hey New York, Who’s Your Daddy Now?” T-Shirt, $19.99
Tools & Hardware
1. Porter-Cable Finish & Brad Nailer Combo Kit, $299.99
2. Toro 38360 Electric Power Shovel Plus, $119.99
3. HyLoft Overhead Storage System, $49.99
Toys
1. V-Smile Electronic Learning System, $49.99
2. Cranium Hullabaloo Game, $19.95
3. Fridge Phonics Magnetic Letter Set, $17.99 [24×7]
