US online spending rose 9 percent in Q3: comScore

US online spending rose 9 percent to $32.1 billion in the third quarter, according to market research firm comScore. It was the fourth straight quarter of year-over-year growth following the U.S. economic downturn.

The best-performing categories during the quarter were books and magazines, excluding digital downloads, computers and consumer electronics. Growth in online shopping, which makes up just a fraction of the overall retail pie, has outperformed brick-and-mortar sales growth during the downturn and the aftermath. Last month, comScore forecast that e-commerce spending during the holiday season could rise 7 percent to 9 percent if unemployment does not worsen.

The National Retail Federation, meanwhile, has forecast that holiday retail sales, which exclude online sales, will rise 2.3 percent to $447.1 billion.