Paradigm Shift E-vidence

The graphic on the left suggests that a  paradigm shift is occurring when it comes to where US Internet users choose to shop.  Retail or e-tail.  See: "Paradigm Shift - Retails 70%-22% Lead Evaporates." 

To further underscore this viewpoint, new numbers from Goldman Sachs indicate that e-tail sales volume packs a mean punch  as it has left a huge dent in  chain store sales compared to the same period last year.

Apply the numbers released Monday from comScore and it translates as follows:

Online sales  volume growth enjoys 22.5 times the growth rate of sales at comparative chain stores.

That sounds like some heavy shifting.  Here's further e-vidence, as reported by Internet Retailer: 

Sales at chain stores last week were virtually unchanged from the corresponding week a year ago, rising a minuscule 0.4%, reports the Goldman Sachs weekly sales index.

By contrast, online sales last week were up 9% over the same week a year earlier, comScore Inc. reported Monday.

For the week that included the Friday after Thanksgiving, the traditional start of the holiday shopping season, sales were up 1.3% over the year-earlier week. Sales fell 0.8% from Thanksgiving week to the following week, according to the Shopping Center Council/Goldman Sachs index.

The tough economic and retail environment, which continued into early December, is likely to dominate the full month`s sales performance as well, says 'Michael P. Niemira, the shopping center council's chief economist. Given this, ICSC Research expects monthly comparable-store sales will be flat to up 1% for December with late holiday shopping driving the month`s overall performance.

The index represents comparable store sales.