Someday, the e-tailing sector will grow again. But not yet.

In the second quarter, U.S. online retail sales fell one percent year over year, following flat sales in the first quarter and a three percent drop in the fourth quarter of last year, according to ComScore.

“The marginally negative growth in Q2, on the heels of flat growth in Q1, signals that online retail spending has yet to turn the corner after a disappointing end to last year,” ComScore Chairman Gian Fulgoni said in a statement.

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You will not be shocked to learn that online holiday spending is not off to a good start.

ComScore today reports that for the first 23 days of November, e-commerce spending (excluding travel, auctions and large corporate purchases) was down four percent from the same period last year. ComScore Chairman Gian Fulgoni said that “with consumer confidence low and disposable income tight, the first weeks of November have been very disappointing.”

ComScore’s forecast is that overall online spending this year will be flat versus a year ago. That compares with a 19 percent rise in spending online last year, and a nine percent rise in e-commerce for the year through October.

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