Online non-travel retail spending will exceed $15 billion during the November/December holiday shopping season, comScore Networks predicts. This represents an increase of 23% to 26% compared to last year’s season, according to the company.

In addition, the company, which studies consumer behavior and attitudes, expects that total non-travel quarterly spending online will cross the $20 billion threshold for the first time ever in the fourth quarter of 2004.

The Reston, Virg.-based company has been tracking online spending on weekly basis during the holiday season. Its findings for the week ending Dec. 12 and the season to date include:

* Online retail spending in the season-to-date through Dec. 12 totaled $11.09 billion, an increase of 23% compared to $9.04 billion spent during the corresponding days in 2003.

* Online sales for the week were slightly softer than in recent weeks. During the week ending Sunday, Dec. 12, consumers spent $2.67 billion, an increase of 22% compared to $2.19 billion during the same week last year.

* Online retailers recorded sales of more than $400 million each day between Monday, Dec. 6 and Friday, Dec. 10. Before this year, online retail sales crossed the $400 million mark only once before, on Dec. 9, 2003.

JCK