The original 'social shoppers'

Gift recommendations dominate online holiday discussions on blogs, and range from one-off reviews to comprehensive shopping guides, according to (pdf) a Nielsen Online analysis of 1,000 influential blogs* in November, writes MarketingCharts.

A new type of holiday shopping resource is emerging as consumers turn to "social shopping" communities (e.g., ThisNext, Yahoo Shoposphere, Stylehive.com and Crowdstorm.com) that offer interactive, peer-driven product reviews.

Overall, the most frequently reviewed and recommended gift categories were consumer electronics and videogames, suggesting that bloggers may still skew toward the technologically savvy.

"Bloggers' holiday gift recommendations have evolved from simple product reviews to be far more social in nature. Like media, retail seems to be moving from a broadcast model to one of consumer control," said Kate Niederhoffer, director of research methodology, Nielsen Online.

"The new face of online recommendations - an emergent trend this season - comes from several forward-thinking blogs which point consumers to social shopping sites," she added.

Most-Buzzed-about Online Retailers

Overstock.com was the fastest-growing online retailer when ranked by online mentions and inbound links in the week ended Dec. 2, increasing 122 percent week over week.

Orbitz.com and JC Penney ranked No. 2 and 3, increasing 97 percent and 94 percent, respectively.

Holiday eShopping Index Highlights

• Total visits to the Index grew 10 percent year over year in the week ended Dec. 2
• Fastest-growing product categories for the week, ranked by increase in visits:
  • Jewelry - 38 percent
  • Beauty - 24 percent
  • Shoes - 18 percent

Retail Goods & Services Advertising, Week Ended Dec. 2 (U.S.)

• eBay was No. 1 advertiser in Retail Goods & Services industry with 1.6 billion image-based impressions
• Auctions was the largest Retail Goods & Services industry segment, driven primarily by eBay

* Influential blogs determined by the number of inbound links from other blogs.

About the Nielsen Online CGM Analysis: Nielsen Online analyzed online conversations in 1,000 influential blogs, as determined by volume of inbound links.

About the Nielsen Online Holiday eShopping Index: The index comprises over 120 representative online retailers across 12 categories and acts as a barometer to gauge the level of activity at online shopping destinations during the holiday season. The Index illustrates increased shopping activity through category growth.