Comscore Reports $109 Billion in Q4 2016 Total Digital U.S. Retail E-Commerce Spending, Up 18 Percent vs. Year Ago

Comscore M-Commerce Data Shows Mobile Contributed $22.7 Billion to Q4 Spending, Up 45 Percent Y/Y
M-Commerce Spending on Smartphones and Tablets Accounted for 21 Percent of Online Sales for the Quarter

RESTON, VA, February 13, 2017 – Comscore today reported Q4 2016 U.S. retail e-commerce spending from desktop computers and mobile devices. For Q4 2016, $109.3 billion was spent online, marking an 18-percent increase versus the same quarter in 2015. The majority of online buying occurred on desktop computers, with $86.6 billion spent, up 13 percent vs. year ago. Meanwhile, m-commerce spending on smartphones and tablets contributed $22.7 billion, with a significantly higher year-over-year growth rate than desktop at 45 percent.

Q4 2016 vs. Q4 2015: Desktop and Mobile Spending
Non-Travel (Retail) Total Digital Commerce Spending
Excludes Auctions and Large Corporate Purchases
Total U.S. – Home & Work Desktop Computers, Smartphones, Tablets
Source: Comscore E-Commerce and M-Commerce Measurement

Millions ($)

Q4 2015

Q4 2016

Percent Change

Desktop

$76,881

$86,584

13%

Mobile

$15,625

$22,680

45%

Total Digital

$92,507

$109,264

18%

Overall, mobile accounted for 21 percent of total digital commerce dollars in Q4 2016, which is mobile’s highest recorded share of online sales for a single quarter since Comscore began measuring m-commerce in 2010. This mobile share of digital commerce dollars grew considerably from 17 percent a year ago and from only 4 percent in Q4 2010. Smartphones and tablets have become increasingly important to online buying with every succeeding year.

Mobile Commerce as a Share of Total Digital Commerce
Excludes Auctions, Autos and Large Corporate Purchases
Total U.S. – Smartphones & Tablets
Source: Comscore E-Commerce and M-Commerce Measurement

Quarter

M-Commerce % Share

Q4 2010

3.6%

Q4 2011

9.0%

Q4 2012

11.3%

Q4 2013

11.7%

Q4 2014

13.0%

Q4 2015

16.9%

Q4 2016

20.8%

For Comscore’s final desktop and mobile online spending estimates from the 2016 holiday season, check out our blog post on the topic here.

About Comscore

Comscore is a leading cross-platform measurement company that precisely measures audiences, brands and consumer behavior everywhere. Comscore completed its merger with Rentrak Corporation in January 2016, to create the new model for a dynamic, cross-platform world. Built on precision and innovation, our unmatched data footprint combines proprietary digital, TV and movie intelligence with vast demographic details to quantify consumers’ multiscreen behavior at massive scale. This approach helps media companies monetize their complete audiences and allows marketers to reach these audiences more effectively. With more than 3,200 clients and global footprint in more than 75 countries, Comscore is delivering the future of measurement. Shares of Comscore stock are currently traded on the OTC Market (OTC:SCOR). For more information on Comscore, please visit comscore.com.

Contact:
Adam Lella
Comscore, Inc.
+1 (312) 775-6474
press@comscore.com