A pullback in consumer spending is also happening online, according to data released Monday by comScore.  The research group reported that October spending online increased just one percent over the previous year, the slowest movement since tracking started in 2001.  The figure spans soft goods like music downloads, as well as more tangible assets like CDs and portable music players.  "October represented the softest single-month of online retail growth on record," said comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni.

The greatest pullback came from those earning under $50,000 annually, typically a reliable spending demographic.  Fulgoni blamed a concoction of negative factors, including shifts in psychology.  "It's clear that the increase in the country's unemployment rate along with the shock of the financial market meltdown have had a negative impact on the psyche of the American consumer, and the effects were clearly felt in the online retail sector," Fulgoni said.

Conversely, households making more than $100,000 annually showed strong gains.  The demographic produced a 14 percent increase during the three-month span between August and October.