Cyber Monday bargain hunters bought more, spent less this year

fknowles@suntimes.com

Shoppers on the hunt for deals helped drive total Cyber Monday sales higher than last year, but on average they spent less, preliminary data showed.

Online sales were up 11 percent over the same time last year, as of 5:30 p.m. Monday, but the average order value was down 13.2 percent, according to Coremetrics, a California-based Web analytics company.

There were deals to be had. Amazon.com was discounting the Apple iPod Touch 8GB for $158, $20 less than Sunday and $40 off the retail price of about $200. Target.com offered a deal Monday for a Garmin GPS system for $186.99, down from $249.99. Free shipping was also prevalent.

A National Retail Federation survey released last week found that 87.1 percent of retailers responding said they would have a special promotion for Cyber Monday, up from 83.7 percent last year and 72.2 percent in 2007.

By the end of the day some 96.5 million Americans were expected to have shopped online Monday, up 13.5 percent from 85 million in 2008, based on a BIGresearch survey for Shop.org, the Retail federation noted. The majority were expected to shop from home. But by the end of the holiday season some 69 million are expected to have shopped online at work.

Data released by Chicago-based ShopperTrak Monday said retail spending at brick and mortar stores Black Friday and over the weekend edged up 0.9 percent from a year ago to $16.77 billion. The firm, which tracks sales and traffic at more than 50,000 outlets, said foot traffic slipped 2.5 percent on Friday and 3.2 percent Saturday.

That contrasts with the National Retail Federation estimates Sunday that store and Web retail traffic rose 13.4 percent from last year, but sales edged up only 0.5 percent to $41.2 billion.

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96.5 mil.

The number of Americans who were expected to have shopped online Monday, up from 85 million last year.

11%, 13.2%

Sales were up 11% over same time last year -- but average order value was down 13.2 percent.

Photo: Robyn Beck, AFP, Getty Images / Nearly 90 percent of retailers in a survey last week said they would offer Cyber Monday deals.