ComScore Networks today released the results of a third-quarter analysis of consumer spending in the online apparel category. During Q3 2006, total U.S. online apparel sales registered a 32-percent increase versus the same quarter last year. Sites operated by specialty retailers (such as VictoriasSecret.com and OldNavy.com) accounted for the largest share of sales with 46 percent of total dollars spent, followed by department store sites at 21 percent, and online pureplay sites (such as Amazon.com) at 16 percent
Online Apparel Category
Share of Dollars Spent by Online Site Segment
Q3 2006 vs. Q3 2005
Total U.S. - Home/Work/University Locations
Source: comScore Networks
Share of Dollars ($)
Apparel Site Segment Q3 2005 Q3 2006 Pt Chg
Total Online Apparel 100.0% 100.0% 0.0
Catalog 15.7% 13.6% -2.2
Department Store 19.7% 20.8% 1.1
Discount 3.4% 2.4% -1.0
Manufacturer 2.0% 1.6% -0.4
Online Pureplay 16.5% 15.9% -0.7
Specialty Store 42.6% 45.8% 3.2
Online Apparel Category
Percent Change: Number of Buyers, Average Order Value, Dollar Sales
Q3 2006 vs. Q3 2005
Total U.S. - Home/Work/University Locations
Source: comScore Networks
Q3 2006 vs. Q3 2005
Number of Average Order Sales in
Apparel Site Segment Buyers Value Dollars
Total Online Apparel 35% -1% 32%
Catalog 19% -3% 3%
Department Store 60% -8% 43%
Discount -74% 44% -32%
Manufacturer 48% -17% -7%
Online Pureplay 32% 6% 23%
Specialty Store 48% -2% 47%
“That the number of online retail apparel buyers is increasing so rapidly bodes well for long term category growth,” commented Rob Harles, senior vice president of comScore Networks. “Because new buyers tend to spend less online until they’ve become comfortable with the purchase process, the average order value is experiencing declines among some of the site segments. But as new buyers become acclimated to the online buying process, they ratchet up the size of their orders, which will yield significant overall sales growth in the future.”
