Holiday retail sales online hit a record after early promotions

SAN FRANCISCO — A retail analyst Friday estimated that online retailers large and small combined sold more products than ever this holiday season, as early promotions and investments in delivery systems helped avoid the widespread shipping snags that popped up a year ago.

Online shopping is on pace to rise 16 percent to $61 billion for the November to December period, according to researcher ComScore Inc., with retailers benefiting from lower unemployment rates, higher consumer confidence and a decline in oil prices that has left shoppers with more to spend on gifts.

Amazon.com, the world’s biggest Internet retailer, hired more workers and opened new distribution centers, extending its reach to get goods to customers faster. United Parcel Service and FedEx also stepped up hiring, updated their technology and invested in infrastructure to absorb the growth. Consumers shopped earlier, responding to pre-Thanksgiving promotions and not splurging at the last minute — something that contributed to last year’s delivery delays.

Amazon.com’s sales rose 20 percent from Nov. 27 to Dec. 21, outperforming the broader industry’s growth rate of 14 percent in the same period, according to ChannelAdvisor Corp., a consulting firm that helps retailers increase sales.

Smaller companies helped fuel the jump in e-commerce this season by investing in technology and embracing the Web to expand their reach.

Growth in e-commerce is expected to continue to outpace overall expansion in retail in coming years as consumers shift spending from brick-and-mortar stores to websites and mobile apps, according to analytical firm EMarketer Inc.

Read Saturday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

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