A Flurry of Post-Christmas eCommerce?

Since the weather outside is frightful, eCommerce sales could become even more delightful.

The huge blizzard that just KO'd the Northeast might be freezing up holiday profits for brick and mortar stores, but online retailers could discover a silver lining. Thanks to large numbers of consumers stuck inside with little more than cabin fever and laptops, e-tailers might see a considerable boost in sales during the post-Christmas whiteout.

Before the storm hit, snarling travel plans and bringing traffic to a standstill, December had already proved to be a boon for eCommerce. Total sales have already climbed to more than $28 billion during the holiday season so far this year, and with pre-blizzard estimates jumping up 11% to $32.4 billion, final sales figures could be especially merry and bright.