Despite grim forecasts for the holiday season, Yahoo! experienced a remarkable 86% increase in online sales from Thanksgiving to Christmas compared to the previous year. This surge was a welcome bonus for CEO Terry Semel.

In the fourth quarter, consumers spent a staggering $10.3 billion online through Yahoo!, with December 10th marking the peak in activity. To prepare for the holiday rush, Yahoo! expanded its merchant offerings, adding brands like Sony and Gateway, and integrated its auctions, classifieds, and warehouse sections into a unified shopping platform.

Top-selling items included video game consoles such as the Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and Microsoft Xbox, along with Harry Potter toys, digital cameras, and DVD players. These products were not only popular on Yahoo! but also across other e-commerce sites.

Yahoo! does not run its own online store; instead, it hosts stores for other merchants and earns fees or a percentage of their sales.

The robust e-commerce performance aligns with Semel's recent strategy to streamline the company's 44 divisions into six, focusing on key areas like e-commerce and entertainment to diversify revenue sources. Last year, 90% of Yahoo!'s revenue came from advertising, with the remaining 10% from consumer fees and commerce. This year, advertising accounts for 76% of earnings, and Semel aims to reduce this to 50% by 2004.

Analysts are still tallying the total online sales for November and December, but early indications suggest a significant increase over last year. Online holiday retail sales were projected to reach $11.9 billion, up 11% from the previous year.

According to BizRate.com, of the $6.4 billion in online sales from November 19 to December 25, $54 million worth of goods were bought on Christmas Day alone, a 26% rise from the previous year.

This positive trend in e-commerce contrasts sharply with the generally disappointing retail sales figures. U.S. retail sales from December 1 to 22 fell by 4.5% compared to the same period last year, according to Instinet Research.

The good news for online retailers was reflected in the stock market, with Yahoo! shares rising 84 cents to close at $17.51. Other e-commerce giants also saw gains, with Amazon.com closing up $1.27 at $11.10 and eBay increasing by $2.53 to $66.34.

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