US holiday shoppers spent $25 billion online through the week ending December 16, with electronics and apparel representing the biggest categories, according to a survey of 1,000 adults released.
The Goldman, Sachs & Co., Nielsen/NetRatings and Harris Interactive's Holiday eSpending Report found that computers and consumer electronics accounted for $3.75 billion and $3.67 billion, respectively, or a combined 28 per cent of online spending.
Online spenders shied away from toys and video games, however, with only $1.91 billion, or seven per cent of spending, going towards the category.
Sales of video games, in particular, have been sluggish as customers held off buying game titles until new video game consoles become available.
"The lines are really blurring between toys and gadgets," Nielsen/NetRatings retail analyst Heather Dougherty said in a phone interview.
"There wasn't really a hot toy this year," Ms Dougherty said. "A lot of kids are asking for gadgets. If there is a hot toy this year, it is something like an iPod or a Sidekick."
Apple Computer Inc. makes the iPod music and video player. Closely held Danger Inc. makes the Sidekick e-mail and phone device that is a hit with teenagers. These estimates are based on a national weekly survey of 1,013 adults through December 16, the seventh and biggest sales week for the holiday shopping season starting November 1. A final survey of online shopping in the week ahead of Christmas will be released next week.
US consumers also appear to have overcome their previous aversion to buying clothing online and had spent $4.68 billion by mid-December.
"Apparel sales are mirroring the spending habits of consumers in the offline world more and more," Ms Dougherty said.
"Most consumers know what sizes they wear. They no longer need to have the tactile experience that once made consumers cautious about buying apparel online," she said.
Name-brand sites such as Gap and Eddie Bauer and online department stores like Macy's appear to be benefiting from rising demand.
While the electronics category was hot, it also weathered steep price discounting, which could crimp profitability.
"Electronics demand was driven by a lot of aggressive pricing," Ms Dougherty said.
"There's a lot of low-cost laptops and PCs available, which are attracting consumers who want to upgrade their computers in order to better use digital cameras," she said.
The survey asked consumers which search or shopping site they used to locate online stores over the week ending December 16.
Almost half of holiday shoppers, or 45.2 per cent, said they went directly to an online retailer by typing its web address. Other popular means of finding online stores were using search sites such as Google, which drew 40.5 per cent, or twice the number of Yahoo, with 20.9 per cent.