"It's pretty clear that the larger, established retailers have an overall competitive advantage during a recession," said comScore chairman, Gian Fulgoni. "Not only are they better equipped to meet the price demands of cash-strapped consumers, but they are also able to maintain their marketing investments and gain consumer mindshare. Both Amazon and Wal-Mart come to mind as online retailers that appear to be benefitting from this dynamic during this holiday season."

Free Shipping Motivates Shoppers to Click and Spend More

Transactions that included free shipping accounted for 50% of all online sales during the week of November 22,—11 points higher than the corresponding week last year.

Moreover, the average value of orders that included free shipping was approximately 15% higher than those without free shipping, suggesting that retailers have been successful in using minimum spending thresholds for free shipping to persuade consumers to spend more per order.