Online Sales Numbers?

You can usually tell how holiday shopping at a mall is going by looking at how crowded the parking lots are. But how do you know how online holiday shopping is going? The Internet research firm comScore is among those keeping tabs on all the clicking - and so far, they say sales are on the up side.

For the week that ended Friday, online sales are up 4 percent - with $4.64 billion in purchases recorded. If you look at the period from November 1 to this past Friday, sales are up 3 percent. Meanwhile, shoppers at malls continue to be cautious - waiting retailers out for better bargains. Their patience may be rewarded this week. With the number of shopping days dwindling, merchants may be ready to slash prices in an effort to get people to pry open their wallets.