Web traffic from home and work to the Nielsen Online Holiday eShopping Index increased 10% year over year on Black Friday, growing from 28.8 million unique visitors in 2007 to 31.7 million unique visitors in 2008, Nielsen Online reported (pdf). The index tracks more than 120 representative online retailers.
Below, additional findings released by Nielsen Online.
Category Growth
Consumer Electronics was the fastest-growing product category on Friday, increasing 219% from the previous Friday, November 21. Shopping Comparison/Portals and Toys/Videogames took the No. 2 and No. 3 spots, with 83% and 73% Web traffic growth, respectively.
“Even with the weakening economy, an unstable stock market and a rising unemployment rate, Black Friday traffic to online retail sites grew at a double-digit rate this year,” said Ken Cassar, vice-president, industry insights, Nielsen Online.
“The fact that the Shopping Comparison/Portals category was the second fastest-growing segment indicates that consumers continue to see the Web as the source for determining the best deals and prices of the season, which we expect to be top of mind for holiday shoppers this year.”
Online Conversations, Consumer Perceptions
To gauge consumer perceptions about Black Friday, Nielsen Online created a Brand Association Map (BAM), based on online discussions in blogs and online forums between October 1 and November 22, 2008 (click on graph image, above).
With the keyword “Black Friday” at the center, the BAM reveals words and phrases most frequently used when consumers discussed Black Friday. The closer the words are to the center, the greater the association.
Key findings:
- Not surprisingly, shopping incentives were a key part of Black Friday discussions. The terms “deals,” “sales,” and “doorbusters,” referring to deep discounts intended to get shoppers in the door, were all closely associated with Black Friday.
- Specific retailers were also mentioned in relation to Black Friday, including Sears, CVS, Wal-Mart, JCPenney, Staples, and Circuit City, among others.
- Consumers discussed specific products and gift ideas, including high-definition televisions, video games, laptops and toys.
Top 10 Online Retail Destinations
eBay was the top online retail destination on Black Friday with 9.8 million unique visitors, while Amazon and Wal-Mart followed with 8.4 million and 6.0 million unique visitors, respectively.
Among the top 10 online retail destinations, Circuit City was the fastest growing on Friday, increasing 352% over the previous Friday. Best Buy ranked No. 2 with a 196% increase in Web traffic, and Target rounded out the top three with a 136% week-over-week growth.
About the data: The Nielsen Online Holiday eShopping Index comprises over 120 representative online retailers across 12 categories and acts as a barometer to gauge the level of activity at online shopping destinations during the holiday season. The Index illustrates increased shopping activity through category growth.
via Retailer Daily
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