Big Gains for Internet Retailers

Bob Tedeschi reports in today's New York Times about the success online retailers have had this holiday season.

As of Dec. 26, year-to-date sales - excluding travel and auctions - reached $51.51 billion, up roughly 22 percent from $42.37 billion in the same period a year earlier. Those numbers could change slightly, ComScore said, as holiday returns are settled. And unlike most merchants, ComScore records revenues from gift certificates when the certificates are bought, not when they are redeemed.

Visa USA reported similarly positive results last week. Visa, which says its credit and debit cards are used in about half of all Internet transactions, said nontravel online retail sales from Nov. 17 to Dec. 25 increased 45 percent over the same period last year, to $4.9 billion. As of Dec. 25, year-to-date sales had jumped 37 percent, to $28.4 billion.