By
Keisha Lamothe, CNNMoney.com staff writer
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Online shopping jumped this past year as spending accelerated during the last two months of the holiday season, according to the latest report from market research firm ComScore Networks.
For the full year 2006, total online retail spending, excluding travel-related purchases, reached $102.1 billion, marking a 24 percent increase versus 2005, the firm said.
Shoppers waiting until the last minute accounted for the surge in online retail spending during the final three weeks of the season. Spending surged 31 percent from a year earlier, while sales the week before Christmas increased 45 percent.
Online retail spending saw 12 days during the November/December holiday season surpassing the $600 million mark. The heaviest online spending day of the year was Dec. 13 with $667 million spent.
Online holiday e-commerce accounted for $24.6 billion, up 26 percent versus last year. ComScore initially had expected holiday sales on the Internet to grow 24 percent to $24.3 billion.
"2006 was certainly an exceptional year for online retailers as e-commerce spending eclipsed $100 billion for the first time, and growth remained very strong with a 24 percent increase versus last year," Gian Fulgoni, chairman of ComScore Networks, said in a statement.
"The online holiday shopping season of course played a vital role in the year's success, as spending accelerated during the final two months of the year, helping push total online retail spending over the $100 billion threshold."
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