A 64% year-over-year fourth-quarter surge in the number of online orders, to 180 million from 110 million, drove a 22% increase in Q4 online retail sales to more than $18 billion from $15.04 billion a year ago, online shopping service and research firm BizRate.com reported. It said that Q4 online retail sales, which accounted for a third of all online retail sales for 2003, were helped by post-Christmas purchases of $880 million.
BizRate noted that total consumer spending online for 2003 reached $55.93 billion, an increase of 25% over $44.94 billion in 2002. Shoppers made 493.53 million purchases online last year, up 47% from 335.97 million in 2002.