U.S. online sales surge 15 percent on the year to $186 billion in 2012

Consumer sales monitoring firm comScore, Inc. reported that U.S. retail e-commerce sales jumped 15 percent on 2011 to $186.2 billion in 2012 – the strongest annual growth rate since before the 2008-09 recession.

Sales in the fourth quarter soared 14 percent on the year to $56.8 billion, the first ever quarter with sales of $50 billion or more.

The period was also the thirteenth consecutive quarter of positive year-over-year growth and the ninth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth.

“2012 was a year in which – for the most part – e-commerce continued to grow strongly, despite an uneven macroeconomic environment showing signs of recovery but also cause for continued concern,” said comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni.

“With e-commerce growth rates consistently in the mid-teens throughout the year, it is clear that the online channel has won over the American consumer and will increasingly be relied upon to deliver on the dimensions of lower price, convenience and selection. The only real blemish on an otherwise outstanding year for e-commerce was a holiday season that fell shy of initial expectations, apparently due to consumers’ fiscal cliff concerns. To the extent that this pullback was just a temporary shock and not a sign of underlying economic weakness, we are optimistic that 2013 will build on the momentum of the past year.”

U.S. online retail spending in the fourth quarter reached 10 percent of total U.S. retail spending for comparable categories, the first time it has reached double-digits.

The 14-percent year-on-year growth of retail e-commerce spending in the final quarter was driven by a six-percent jump in the number of buyers and an eight-percent rise in spending per buyer.