U.S. Online Holiday Spending Nears $31 Bln, ComScore Says

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Dec. 18 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. online spending for the holiday season has risen 15 percent to $30.9 billion from the year- earlier period, ComScore Inc. said.

Four days during the week ended Dec. 16 topped $1 billion, the Internet-traffic researcher said in a statement. Sales for last week were $6.32 billion, also up 15 percent.

Spending is expected to slow as Christmas Day nears, ComScore said. This means Cyber Monday, Nov. 28, is likely to be the single top online spending day with $1.25 billion, followed by $1.13 billion in purchases on Dec. 12 and $1.07 billion on Dec. 16, or Free Shipping Day.

The data measured the 46-day period from Nov. 1 to Dec. 16.

ComScore, based in Reston, Virginia, compiles Internet traffic data from about 2 million consumers in 170 countries, according to its own website.

--Editors: Sylvia Wier, Joe Sabo

To contact the reporter on this story: Dan Hart in Washington at dahart@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Sylvia Wier at swier@bloomberg.net