2005 Holiday E-Shopping Exceeds Last Year's

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Consumers are increasingly going online this holiday season. Data from Nielsen//NetRatings's Holiday eShopping Index shows a 33 percent increase over last year.

Weekly shopping sessions at online retailers rose from 348.3 million over the holidays last year to 462.5 million in 2005. The increase is a 33 percent jump over the 2004 holiday season.

"Both new and experienced Internet buyers are not only researching products and comparing prices online before making a purchase, but they are also finding good holiday discounts online," said Heather Dougherty, senior retail analyst, Nielsen//NetRatings.

Week six of the 2005 holiday shopping season (December 4-10) experienced a 33 percent year-over-year gain over week six of last year (December 5-11).

Books, music, and video combined are the fastest growing category, with a 238 percent increase over last year. Dougherty attributes the growth to a vast selection of titles released during the holidays.

Toys and video games make the combined fastest-growing online retail category for the current holiday season, beginning October 30. Toy and video game buys online account for 149 percent growth from week one to week six. Flowers and gifts grew 117 percent; and consumer electronics grew 90 percent.

The Holiday eShopping Index looks at over 100 representative online retailers across 10 categories.