Online purchases rise at fast pace, now comprise 15% of holiday sales

shopping season since 2013, stores were trumpeting deals even before Halloween with hopes of getting people to think about Christmas.

Thanksgiving landed on Nov. 28 this year, the latest possible date it could fall. That meant six fewer days than last year, forcing last-minute shoppers to scramble.

The Saturday before Christmas was the busiest shopping day in U.S. history, surpassing Black Friday, according to research firm Customer Growth Partners.

Amazon stepped up its one-day deliveries this year. The online shopping giant said more people tried out its $119a-year Prime membership this year than any other year, as it added more than 5 million new customers in a single week. Members get faster shipping and other perks, like movie streaming.

Mastercard said overall clothing sales rose 1%. Jewelry sales increased 1.8%. Sales of electronics and appliances rose 4.6%. And furniture sales grew 1.3%.

Department stores, which have been hit hard by the rise of online shopping, still had trouble getting shoppers in their doors: total sales fell 1.8%, Mastercard said.

Christmas Day does not signal the end of the fight for shoppers, however.

Retailers are all but certain to offer steep discounts through at least New Year’s Day in hopes of snaring those who did not get all they had hoped for in the shortened holiday shopping season, said C. Britt Beemer, CEO at America’s Research Group, a consumer behavior firm.

“You’re going to see a bunch of larger crowds in the stores,” Beemer said.