The US online retail sector delivered strong growth on Cyber Monday 2010 compared to the same period last year, according to powerful analytics-based findings by IBM (NYSE: IBM). IBM's findings expand on the company's earlier report that Black Friday 2010 delivered double-digit growth over 2009, and its forecast that in-store sales of consumer electronics and appliances in US retail stores would get an early start this year, with consumers spending a larger than usual share in November.
Delivered as part of IBM Coremetrics’ third annual Cyber Monday Benchmark Report, the analysis of the online retail sector reveals the following trends as of 12:00 am PST:
Cyber Monday 2010 compared to Black Friday 2010
- Consumer spending increases: Online sales were up 31.1 percent, with consumers pushing the average order value (AOV) up from $190.80 to $194.89 for an increase of 2.1 percent.
- Luxury goods continue comeback: Jewelry retailers reported a significant jump of 60.3 percent in sales.
- Social shopping: The growing trend of consumers using their networks on social sites for information about deals and inventory levels continued on Cyber Monday. While the percentage of visitors arriving from social network sites is fairly small relative to all online visitors-nearly 1 percent-it is gaining momentum, with Facebook dominating the space.
- Mobile shopping: Consumers continue to use mobile as a shopping tool. On Cyber Monday, 3.9 percent of people visited a retailery site using a mobile device.
Cyber Monday 2010 compared to Cyber Monday 2009 (year/year):
- Consumer spending increases:Online sales were up 19.4 percent, with consumers pushing the average order value (AOV) up from $180.03 to $194.89 for an increase of 8.3 percent.
- Luxury goods report big gains:Affluent shoppers opened their wallets wide, driving sales of luxury goods up 24.3 percent over 2009.
- Shopping peaks at 9:00 am PST/Noon EST: Consumers flocked online, with shopping momentum hitting its peak at 9:00 am PST/noon EST. But consumer shopping maintained stronger momentum throughout the day than on Cyber Monday 2009.
Download the Full Benchmark Cyber Monday 2010 Report (1.34MB)
U.S. Retail
| Session Traffic Summary Metrics | Cyber Monday 2010 | Cyber Monday 2009 | % Change (y/y) | Black Friday 2010 | % Change (w/w) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bounce (One Page) Rate1 | 31.41% | 28.86% | 8.84% | 32.11% | -2.18% |
| Multi-Page Session Percent2 | 68.59% | 71.14% | -3.58% | 67.89% | 1.03% |
| Browsing Sessions Percent3 | 48.34% | 48.88% | -1.10% | 48.79% | 0.92% |
| Shopping Cart Sessions Percent4 | 12.79% | 12.13% | 5.44% | 11.28% | 13.39% |
| Order Sessions Percent5 | 5.60% | 5.26% | 6.46% | 4.61% | 21.48% |
| Visitor Experience Summary Metrics | Cyber Monday 2010 | Cyber Monday 2009 | % Change (y/y) | Black Friday 2010 | % Change (w/w) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Page Views per Session6 | 8.14 | 8.80 | -7.50% | 8.14 | 0.00% |
| Product Views Per Session7 | 1.75 | 2.14 | -18.22% | 1.78 | -1.69% |
| Average Session Length (in seconds)8 | 7:47 | 7:32 | 3.32% | 7:39 | 1.74% |
| Transaction Summary Metrics | Cyber Monday 2010 | Cyber Monday 2009 | % Change (y/y) | Black Friday 2010 | % Change (w/w) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Items per Order9 | 6.41 | 5.92 | 8.28% | 7.44 | -13.84% |
| Average Order Value10 | $194.89 | $180.03 | 8.25% | $190.80 | 2.14% |
| Shopping Cart Conversion Rate11 | 36.32% | 36.81% | -1.33% | 35.21% | 3.15% |
| Shopping Cart Abandonment Rate12 | 63.68% | 63.19% | 0.78% | 64.79% | -1.71% |
| New Visitor Conversion Percent13 | 4.41% | 4.28% | 3.04% | 3.80% | 16.05% |
| On site Search Summary | Cyber Monday 2009 | Cyber Monday 2008 | % Change (y/y) | Black Friday 2009 | % Change (cm/bf) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-Site Searches per Session14 | 18.37% | 19.49% | -5.75% | 17.59% | 4.43% |
| Social and mobile summary metrics | Cyber Monday 2010 | Black Friday 2010 | % Change (w/w) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile: percentage of sales1515 | 2.25% | 3.18% | -29.25% |
| Mobile: percentage of site traffic16 | 3.88% | 5.56% | -30.22% |
| Social: percentage of sales17 | 0.41% | 0.55% | -25.45% |
| Social: percentage of site traffic18 | 0.86% | 0.88% | -2.27% |
About IBM Coremetrics Benchmark:
IBM Coremetrics Benchmark enables online retailers to measure their online marketing results - including e-commerce data - against that of their peers. Benchmark is the only peer-level benchmarking solution that delivers aggregated and anonymous competitive data for industry-specific key performance indicators (KPIs), showing how a site performs competitively and historically compared to its respective industry overall, as well as to peers and direct competitors.
Session traffic summary metrics
| 1. Bounce (One Page) Rate | The percentage of sessions in which visitors only viewed one page before leaving the site. |
|---|---|
| 2. Multi-Page Session Percent | The percentage of sessions in which visitors viewed more than one page. |
| 3. Browsing Sessions Percent | The percentage of sessions in which visitors viewed at least one product page. |
| 4. Shopping Cart Session Percent | The percentage of sessions in which visitors placed at least one item in their shopping carts. |
| 5. Order Session Percent | The percentage of sessions in which visitors completed an order. |
Visitor Experience Summary Metrics
| 6. Page Views Per Session | The average number of pages viewed by visitors per session. |
|---|---|
| 7. Product Views Per Session | The average number of products viewed by visitors per session. |
| 8. Average Session Length | The average length of time for a visitor session. |
Transactions Summary Metrics
| 9. Items per Order | The average number of items purchased per order. |
|---|---|
| 10. Average Order Value | The average value of each order. |
| 11. Shopping Cart Conversion Rate | Out of all visitors who placed items in their shopping carts, the percentage that placed an actual order. |
| 12. Shopping Cart Abandonment Rate | Out of all visitors who placed items in their shopping carts, the percentage that did not place an actual order. |
| 13. New Visitor Conversion Percent | Out of all new visitor sessions, the percentage that completed an order. |
On-Site Search Summary Metrics
| 14. On-Site Searches Per Session | Out of all sessions, the percentage in which visitors used on-site search capabilities. |
|---|
Social and mobile summary metrics
| 15. Mobile: percentage of sales | Out of all sessions that resulted in a sale, the percentage that was from a mobile device. |
|---|---|
| 16. Mobile: percentage of site traffic | Out of all sessions, the percentage that was from a mobile device. |
| 17. Social: percentage of sales | Out of all sessions that resulted in a sale, the percentage that was from a social site referral. |
| 18. Social: percentage of site traffic | Out of all sessions, the percentage that was from a social site referral. |
The US online retail sector delivered double digit growth on Black Friday 2010 compared to the same period last year, according to analytics-based findings by IBM (NYSE: IBM). These findings expand on IBM’s earlier forecast that in-store sales of consumer electronics and appliances in US retail stores would get an early start this year, with consumers spending a larger than usual share in November.
Delivered as part of IBM Coremetrics’ third annual Black Friday Benchmark Report, the analysis of the online retail sector reveals the following trends as of 12:00 am PST compared to Black Friday 2009 (year/year):
Black Friday online spending delivers double digit growth in 2010
- Consumer spending increases: Online sales were up a healthy 15.9 percent, with consumers pushing the average order value (AOV) up from $170.19 to $190.80 for an increase of 12.1 percent.
- Luxury goods make a comeback: Jewelry retailers reported a 17.6 percent increase in sales. These affluent shoppers appear very willing to open their wallets.
- Surgical shopping: Consumers know what they want and where to get it. People are viewing 18 percent fewer products on sites than they did last year, suggesting that they are shopping with a specific item in mind and quickly moving on.
- Social shopping: Consumers appear increasingly savvy about their favorite brands’ social presence, and are turning to their networks on social sites for information about deals and inventory levels. While the percentage of visitors arriving from social network sites is fairly small relative to all online visitors-nearly 1 percent-it is gaining momentum, with Facebook dominating the space.
- Mobile shopping: Consumers are also embracing mobile as a shopping tool. On Black Friday, 5.6 percent of people logged onto a retailer’s site using a mobile device, a jump of 26.7 percent compared to the prior Friday.
Retail Categories:
- Department stores have become the research engine of choice for consumers looking for Black Friday deals and product promotions. As a consequence, shoppers are spending 17.7 percent more time year over year on department store sites.
- Health and beauty also reported a rise of 73.1 percent in the number of new consumers completing their first purchase on their sites, and a 53.4 percent jump in the number of visits in which consumers completed an order.
- In-store sales in the consumer electronics and appliances sector are expected to increase 3.5 percent this year compared to last, with consumers spending a larger than usual share in November, according to an analytics-based forecast from IBM's Global Business Services division. US consumers have been increasing their savings relative to disposable income, from 2 percent in 2007 to nearly 6 percent in 2010. This indicates a strong pent-up demand for consumer electronics and appliances, both of which are typically seen as necessities in the present day economy.
Download the Full Benchmark Black Friday 2010 Report (1.35MB)
US retail
| Session Traffic Summary Metrics | Black Friday 2010 | Black Friday 2009 | % Change (y/y) | Friday Nov 19, 10 | % Change (w/w) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bounce (One Page) Rate1 | 32.11% | 30.86% | 4.05% | 33.51% | -4.18% |
| Multi-Page Session Percent2 | 67.89% | 69.14% | -1.81% | 66.49% | 2.11% |
| Browsing Sessions Percent3 | 48.79% | 48.99% | -0.41% | 48.11% | 1.41% |
| Shopping Cart Sessions Percent4 | 11.28% | 10.95% | 3.01% | 10.27% | 9.83% |
| Order Sessions Percent5 | 4.61% | 4.50% | 2.44% | 4.32% | 6.71% |
| Visitor Experience Summary Metrics | Black Friday 2010 | Black Friday 2009 | % Change (y/y) | Friday Nov 19, 10 | % Change (w/w) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Page Views per Session6 | 8.14 | 8.79 | -7.39% | 7.55 | 7.81% |
| Product Views Per Session7 | 1.78 | 2.17 | -17.97% | 1.69 | 5.33% |
| Average Session Length (in seconds)8 | 7:39 | 7:28 | 2.46% | 7:15 | 5.52% |
| Transaction Summary Metrics | Black Friday 2010 | Black Friday 2009 | % Change (y/y) | Friday Nov 19, 10 | % Change (w/w) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Items per Order9 | 7.44 | 5.4 | 37.78% | 6.47 | 14.99% |
| Average Order Value10 | $190.80 | $170.19 | 12.11% | $193.74 | -1.52% |
| Shopping Cart Conversion Rate11 | 35.21% | 34.60% | 1.76% | 33.32% | 5.67% |
| Shopping Cart Abandonment Rate12 | 64.79% | 65.40% | -0.93% | 66.68% | -2.83% |
| New Visitor Conversion Percent13 | 3.80% | 3.71% | 2.43% | 3.59% | 5.85% |
| On-Site Search Summary | Black Friday 2010 | Black Friday 2009 | % Change (y/y) | Friday Nov 19, 10 | % Change (w/w) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-Site Searches per Session14 | 17.59% | 18.32% | -3.98% | 18.21% | -3.40% |
| Social and mobile summary metrics | Black Friday 2010 | Friday Nov 19, 10 | % Change (w/w) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile: percentage of sales15 | 3.18% | 2.23% | 42.60% |
| Mobile: percentage of site traffic16 | 5.56% | 4.39% | 26.65% |
| Social: percentage of sales17 | 0.55% | 0.54% | 1.85% |
| Social: percentage of site traffic18 | 0.88% | 0.87% | 1.15% |
About IBM Coremetrics Benchmark:
IBM Coremetrics Benchmark enables online retailers to measure their online marketing results-including e-commerce data-against that of their peers. Benchmark is the only peer-level benchmarking solution that delivers aggregated and anonymous competitive data for industry-specific key performance indicators (KPIs), showing how a site performs competitively and historically compared to its respective industry overall, as well as to peers and direct competitors.
Session Traffic Summary Metrics
| 1. Bounce (One Page) Rate | The percentage of sessions in which visitors only viewed one page before leaving the site. |
|---|---|
| 2. Multi-Page Session Percent | The percentage of sessions in which visitors viewed more than one page. |
| 3. Browsing Sessions Percent | The percentage of sessions in which visitors viewed at least one product page. |
| 4. Shopping Cart Session Percent | The percentage of sessions in which visitors placed at least one item in their shopping carts. |
| 5. Order Session Percent | The percentage of sessions in which visitors completed an order. |
Visitor Experience Summary Metrics
| 6. Page Views Per Session | The average number of pages viewed by visitors per session. |
|---|---|
| 7. Product Views Per Session | The average number of products viewed by visitors per session. |
| 8. Average Session Length | The average length of time for a visitor session. |
Transactions Summary Metrics
| 9. Items per Order | The average number of items purchased per order. |
|---|---|
| 10. Average Order Value | The average value of each order. |
| 11. Shopping Cart Conversion Rate | Out of all visitors who placed items in their shopping carts, the percentage that placed an actual order. |
| 12. Shopping Cart Abandonment Rate | Out of all visitors who placed items in their shopping carts, the percentage that did not place an actual order. |
| 13. New Visitor Conversion Percent | Out of all new visitor sessions, the percentage that completed an order. |
On-Site Search Summary Metrics
| 14. On-Site Searches Per Session | Out of all sessions, the percentage in which visitors used on-site search capabilities. |
|---|
Social and mobile summary metrics
| 15. Mobile: percentage of sales | Out of all sessions that resulted in a sale, the percentage that was from a mobile device. |
|---|---|
| 16. Mobile: percentage of site traffic | Out of all sessions, the percentage that was from a mobile device. |
| 17. Social: percentage of sales | Out of all sessions that resulted in a sale, the percentage that was from a social site referral. |
| 18. Social: percentage of sales | Out of all sessions that resulted in a sale, the percentage that was from a social site referral. |