Fifty leading Web merchants rolled up an estimated $1.78 billion in first quarter sales this year, according to an industry newsletter.
Business-to-business retailers generated the overwhelming majority of sales,
while 45 leading consumer retailers posted $276.5 million in sales during the
same period, according to Simba Information Inc.’s Electronic
Advertising & Marketplace Report newsletter. Five leading B-to-B merchants made an estimated $1.51 billion in sales.
Cisco Systems dominated Web retailing, generating sales of more than $5
million per day during the first quarter, according to the report. Cisco’s
total sales of $800 million were 215% higher than computer manufacturer Dell
at $254 million. Dell said that small businesses account for the majority of
its online sales.
Book sales continued to dominate the consumer category, with five top book
merchants generating an estimated $51.9 million in sales in first quarter
1998, the newsletter said. Amazon.com remained the top consumer retailer with
revenue of $37 million.
NECX maintained its hold on the top spot of computer resellers at $8.8
million. The top five retailers in the computer reseller category accounted
for a combined $32.1 million in sales..
Five leading merchants within the flowers, gifts, and retail catalog category
generated $14 million in first quarter 1998, with 800-Flowers capturing the
top spot again at $8 million, the report said.
CDnow is estimated to have made $8 million and N2K $5 million in sales in
1Q98.