Americans spent 13 percent more online this holiday season, ringing up a record $30.81 billion in online sales, with computer hardware and books and magazines recording the most growth.
The growth outpaces total holiday spending, which rose anywhere from 3.3 percent to 5.5 percent, according to various estimates.
The total easily surpassed last year's $27.37 billion spent online for a new record for the season, said comScore Chairman Gian Fulgoni.
"For at least this holiday season, the American consumer has been able to shrug off the continuing economic challenges of high unemployment rates and depressed housing prices and spend at a rate that has been slightly stronger than we had expected," he said.
Growth was strong across many product categories. The data, from market research firm comScore Inc., shows computer hardware was the fastest-growing category online, with revenue up 23 percent from last year.
Revenue from books and magazines rose 22 percent; consumer electronics 21 percent; and computer software, excluding games, 20 percent. Online toy sales rose 16 percent.
Sales remained strong during the last week of the holidays ending Dec. 26, which was somewhat unexpected since top selling days usually come about a week before Christmas because of shipping deadlines. Spending during the last week of the season rose 17 percent to $2.45 billion.
