Internet Retailer: In a burst of online spending, sales shoot up 53% week ending Sept. 26

Ripped out of the doldrums online retail has been experiencing in the middle of 2004, e-commerce spending for the week ending September 26 vaulted up 53 percent over the same period last year - a radical departure from generally torpid growth in the past few months. Spending hit $1.35 billion, according to comScore. This compares to general retail spending increases of only 8.6 percent in roughly the same period. Online travel sales posted similar gains, up 72 percent to $1.19 billion.