Consumers used more shopping comparison Web sites and spent more time online during the 2005 holiday season than they did a year ago, according to ShopLocal, a marketing products and services firm that specializes in the online retail arena.
Between Nov. 24 and Dec. 24, comparison shopping site use rose 60% from year-ago levels. Not only did more site visitors come, they stayed longer as well.
Site use spiked on Thanksgiving Day, as ShopLocal's online circular pages recorded more than 2.3 million visits during the holiday. Sundays were popular days for scanning retailers' online circulars as well: After the Thanksgiving holiday, the three biggest traffic increases for ShopLocal's clients took place on Sunday Dec. 4, Sunday, Dec. 11, and Sunday, Dec. 18.
"Old habits don't die, they move online," says Brian Hand, ShopLocal founder and CEO, in a statement. "Consumers are accustomed to searching through the print circulars in their Sunday paper and on holidays like Thanksgiving Day, the biggest sale circular day of the year. But now, more and more shoppers are also getting in front of the computer screen to scan for what's on sale at local stores."
