Amazon.com announced that it sold more than 56 million items worldwide from November 1 to December 23, 2002.

The largest sales day occurred on Monday, December 9, with 1.7 million units ordered, or 20 items per second worldwide. The second largest sales day, with 1.6 million units ordered, occurred on Wednesday, December 11, just a day before the holiday ordering deadline for Free Super Saver Shipping on Thursday, December 12.

Constance Hays reports on the weak holiday shopping season this year.

The idea that even Wal-Mart, the biggest success story in retailing in recent years, was struggling was taken as a sign of wider problems. "This confirms our previous thoughts that holiday sales could be the worst in a decade," Deborah Weinswig, a retail analyst for Salomon Smith Barney, wrote in a note to investors after the Wal-Mart announcement.

Separately, a study released today by ForeSee Results shows that although more than half of online holiday shoppers were highly satisfied with their online experience this year, the still nascent e-retail industry earned an overall score of 69 out of a possible 100 points (or a grade of "C"), a strong message from consumers that retailers need to do more to keep them coming back.