Although I promise not to perform an ecommerce spending roundup all that often, I do like the idea of providing periodic updates about the general well being of our industry—especially when the trend continues to look so good.
So without further ado, ecommerce sales actually increased last month despite what appears to have been relatively flat retail spending overall throughout May. In its latest SpendingPulse report, MasterCard Advisors noted that online spending increased 16% last month over the same period in 2010, making it the seventh consecutive month of double-digit growth for ecommerce spending, and the 22nd straight of positive gains for the industry as a whole.
As the country heads into the travel season, and despite high prices at the pump, many sections of the travel industry including lodging (5.1%) and auto repairs (3.8% collectively) reported moderate gains.
Another big segment that’s consistently been capturing more buyers is retail apparel. While the nationwide industry as a whole had improved sales of 5.9% over last years numbers, spending in ecommerce apparel jumped by 19%.
Since the report doesn’t offer spending in dollar amounts we’re left looking only at percentage gains. But it is important to note that the SpendingPulse report does consider every payment type when calculating the data, including all credit and debit card brands, as well as cash and checks.
It’s more good news for our industry, and another good reason to contact HotWax Media to hear about the ways our enterprise ecommerce solutions can help you make the most out of increased online spending.
—Jared—
Jared Matkin is a staff writer for HotWax Media with a background in PR, Branding and Marketing. He’s also a light-hearted and an opinionated character who will join other HotWax Media employees and advisers in periodically posting his thoughts on topics ranging from enterprise eCommerce to business and technology.