I just got my copy of the Internet Retailer’s Top 500 Guide Report (2008) http://www.internetretailer.com/top500/ and the report has a lot of interesting data on selling online.

Using 2007 data, the top product categories in terms of sales and the top 2 ecommerce merchants for that category are:

• Mass Merchant/Department Store = $29.309 billion [Amazon.com; Sears.com]
• Computers/Electronics = $23.337 billion [Dell; HP Home and Home Office Store]
• Office supplies = $13.970 billion [Staples; Office Depot]
• Apparel/Accessories = $12.359 billion [Victoria’s Secret; LL Bean]
• Books/Music/Video = $4.142 billion [Netflix; Blockbuster]
• Housewares/Home furnishings = $3.891 billion [Williams Sonoma; Crate and Barrel]
• Specialty/Non apparel = $3.416 billion [Musician’s Frend Inc.; Oriental Trading]
• Health/Beauty = $2.453 billion [Quixtar; Avon]
• Food/Drug = $2.372 billion [Drugstore.com; Peapod]
• Sporting Goods = $1.535 billipn [Cabela’s Inc; Recreational Equipment]
• Hardware/Home Improvement = $1.366 [Home Depot; Lowe’s]
• Flowers/Gifts = $1.350 billion [1-800-Flowers.com; FTD Group]
• Toys/Hobbies = $1.123 billion [Toys R’Us; American Girl]
• Jewelry = $1.051 billion [Blue Nile; Bidz.com]