Online Sales Rose 15.6% in Nov: IBM Benchmark

Online sales climbed 15.6 percent in November and are doing well so far in December, as shopping from computers, tablets and mobile phones gain in popularity, according to data released by IBM Benchmark on Wednesday.

The findings from IBM Benchmark, a unit of International Business Machines Corp, come after retailers saw record growth on Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving that is a huge U.S. online shopping day.

Sales for the week of Nov. 27 through Dec. 3 rose 10.7 percent from the comparable week of Nov. 28 through Dec. 4, 2010, IBM Benchmark said.

During that week, mobile traffic to web sites and sales from mobile devices more than doubled. Mobile traffic more than doubled to 11.77 percent from 4.74 percent, while mobile sales rose to 8.25 percent from 3.13 percent, IBM said.

The firm expects to see significant growth continue this season, especially during promoted days such as Free Shipping Day on Dec. 16. (Reporting by Jessica Wohl in Chicago; Editing by Derek Caney)