Consumers spent $17.48 billion online between Nov. 1 and Dec. 21, up 24 percent from $14 billion in the corresponding period last year, InternetRetailer reports, citing comScore figures. Online retail spending for November and December will reach $19 million, 24 percent more than last year, comScore forecasts. For the year, online sales are expected to reach $82.7 billion, 24 percent more than the $66.5 billion in 2004.

Meanwhile, according to the Goldman, Sachs & Co., Nielsen/NetRatings and Harris Interactive Holiday eSpending Report, 45.2 percent of consumers went directly to an online retailer by typing its URL, 40.5 percent said they used Google and 20.9 percent said Yahoo.

The eSpending Report also asked consumers what problems they encountered while shopping online: 55 percent said none; but the three top problems that the remaining 45 percent of online shoppers faced were out-of-stock products (cited by 22 percent), inability to locate the item sought (18 percent) or excessive shipping costs (16 percent).

As a result of the New York City transit strike, online spending generated by New York area consumers increased from 3.4 percent of total online spending in the U.S. to 4.4 percent during the first two days of the strike, according to comScore.