Comscore Reports $43.2 Billion in Q2 2012 U.S. Retail E-Commerce Spending, Up 15 Percent vs. Year Ago

Comscore Chairman Gian Fulgoni to Present Update on Q2 2012 E-Commerce Trends in Upcoming Webinar

RESTON, VA, August 9, 2012 – Comscore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released its Q2 2012 U.S. retail e-commerce sales estimates, showing that online retail spending reached $43.2 billion for the quarter, up 15 percent versus year ago. This represents the eleventh consecutive quarter of positive year-over-year growth and seventh consecutive quarter of double-digit growth.

“While the second quarter’s 15-percent growth rate couldn’t quite match the especially high growth rate from the first quarter, it was nevertheless almost four times higher than the growth in overall consumer spending, a sign of continued strength in the e-commerce channel,” said Comscore chairman Gian Fulgoni. “That said, although e-commerce remains strong, we are taking a cautious view of the second half of the year in light of some renewed signs of economic uncertainty and a stubbornly high unemployment rate. In fact, consumer perception of the economy has recently deteriorated, with 56 percent now viewing economic conditions as poor, up from a level of 49 percent three months ago. So, even as commerce increasingly shifts to the online channel, any significant future pullback in overall consumer spending could dampen the strong double-digit growth rates we’ve been experiencing for the year-to-date.”

Other highlights from Q2 2012 include:

• The top-performing online product categories were: Digital Content & Subscriptions, Consumer Electronics, Flowers, Greetings & Gifts, Computer Hardware and Apparel & Accessories. Each category grew at least 16 percent vs. year ago.
• 42 percent of e-commerce transactions included free shipping, representing a seasonal pullback from the Q4 2011 high of 52 percent.

Webinar Series: State of the U.S. Online Retail Economy through Q2 2012

Join Gian Fulgoni and Andrew Lipsman, VP of Industry Analysis, as they present an update of the state of the U.S. online retail economy through Q2 2012 in a live webinar on Tuesday, August 14 from 2-3 p.m. EST / 1-2 p.m. CST / 11-12 p.m. PST. Featured content includes a deep dive on how social media channels like Facebook and Pinterest are driving e-commerce.

About Comscore
Comscore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) is a global leader in measuring the digital world and preferred source of digital business analytics. For more information, please visit www.comscore.com/companyinfo.

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Bill Daddi
Daddi Brand Communications
646-370-1341
press@comscore.com