comScore, Inc. released its monthly analysis of U.S. consumer activity at the top online properties for May 2009 based on data from the comScore Media Metrix service. May saw online visitation surge at gift- related sites as Mother's Day and other seasonal events prompted many to search for gifts online. Coupon sites also witnessed strong growth as bargain-hunting remained a top priority for many Americans.

"Mother's Day, along with high school and university graduations and the beginning of wedding season, make May a traditionally strong time of year for flowers, gifts and greetings sites," commented Jack Flanagan, executive vice president of comScore Media Metrix. "Coinciding with gains to these sites in May we also saw a sharp increase in the number of visitors to online coupon sites this year. As rising summer gas prices put the squeeze on Americans' overall purchasing power, online coupon sites have become an attractive resource for reducing retail costs during this gift-giving season."

Mother's Day Boosts Gift Sites in May

With May 10 marking Mother's Day in 2009, the Flowers/Gifts/Greetings category climbed 16 percent to nearly 36 million visitors as Americans searched for gifts for mom. American Greetings Property led the category with 12.4 million visitors, followed by ProFlowers.com with 5.6 million visitors (up 255 percent versus the previous month) and FTD.com with 4.1 million visitors (up 123 percent).

The Jewelry/Luxury Goods/Accessories category also experienced double-digit growth, increasing 13 percent to nearly 18 million visitors during the month. Swarovski Crystal's site, Swarovski.com, led the category with 2.4 million visitors, an increase of 125 percent versus April. Other sites in the category experiencing gains included Kay Jewelers (up 47 percent to 973,000 visitors) and Tiffany & Co. (up 15 percent to 812,000 visitors).

Coupon Category Grabs Top-Gaining Spot

With gas prices climbing and consumer discretionary income declining, millions of Americans turned to online coupon sites in May for better deals on their retail purchases. The Coupon category posted a particularly strong month, surging 19 percent to 34.7 million visitors to lead as the top-gaining category in May. Coupons Inc., which includes Coupons.com, captured the #1 position with more than 15 million visitors, a gain of 85 percent from the previous month. Eversave.com ranked second with 3.8 million visitors, followed by RetailMeNot.com with 3.5 million visitors.

Americans "Say Cheese" in May

Photo sites witnessed strong growth in May as visitors flocked to sites to post, view and order photos from such seasonal events as graduations and weddings. More than 90 million Americans, slightly less than half of the total U.S. online population, visited a photo site in May, marking a 10-percent gain versus the prior month. Facebook.com Photos led the category with 34.6 million visitors (up 5 percent), followed by Photobucket.com LLC with 28.1 million visitors (up 13 percent) and Flickr.com with 24.4 million visitors (up 11 percent).

Top 50 Properties

Google Sites continued to lead as the most visited property in May with 157 million visitors, followed by Yahoo! Sites with 151.3 million visitors and Microsoft Sites with 125.9 million visitors. Wal-Mart moved up 3 spots to #20 with 33.7 million visitors, while JPMorgan Chase Property jumped 7 spots to #38 with 21.4 million visitors.

Top 50 Ad Focus Ranking

Platform-A led the May Ad Focus ranking, reaching 91 percent of the 193.8 million Americans online. Yahoo! Network ranked second, reaching 87 percent, while Google Ad Network ranked third with an 85 percent reach. Yahoo! Sites and Google both climbed one spot grabbing the #6 and #7 positions, respectively.