Online holiday spending between Oct. 29 and Dec. 23 increased 30 percent from a year ago, according to a report from Goldman Sachs, Nielsen/NetRatings and Harris Interactive, with retail shoppers in the U.S. spening $30.1 billion online, reports CNET. Online sales accounted for 27 percent of surveyed consumers' total holiday spending budgets, up from 16 percent four years ago, according to the study based on national surveys of more than 8,600 shoppers.

Meanwhile, a KPMG study found that 53 percent of consumers reported making an internet-based purchase during the holiday shopping season.

Shoppers were more satisfied with their holiday shopping than at any other time in the last four years, according to the Goldman/Nielsen/Harris report, writes Red Herring.

Some 64 percent of shoppers said they were either very or somewhat satisfied with shopping conditions.