America Online said yesterday that its members spent $4.6 billion online during the holiday season.
In addition, AOL members' total online spending during 2000 reached $20 billion — double the amount spent the previous year.
AOL also said that on Christmas Day it broke its single-day record for membership growth, gaining more than 70,000 new subscribers worldwide. It has about 26 million members.
Nearly 75 percent of AOL members said they have shopped online, and 95 percent of the holiday shoppers said they are likely to buy online again in the next six months, the company said.
“More people than ever before are shopping online through AOL, and we've given our merchant partners exposure to millions of consumers while continuing to deliver to our members the retail brands they know and trust,” said Bob Pittman, president and chief operating officer at AOL, Dulles, VA.
Mainstream consumer products continued to be the most popular items available across the retail categories on Shop@AOL, AOL's shopping site.
The leading categories at the site for the holiday season were clothing and accessories; toys and games; books, music and movies; and electronics and photo.
