Customers will make merry online

Online spending this holiday season is shaping up to be downright joyful for retailers.

According to comScore, total online retail spending for the November–December period will reach $70.1 billion, representing a 14% gain from $61.3 billion a year earlier. Total desktop spending is expected to reach $58.3 billion, up 9% from $53.3 million.

While total mobile spending is only expected to reach $11.7 billion, or about 17% of all holiday online commerce, this figure is up 47% from $8 billion the prior year. Online spending should represent about 15% of all consumer spending during the holiday season.

"The 2015 online holiday shopping season is expected to surpass $70 billion in spending, once again far outpacing the growth of brick-and-mortar retail during the most important stretch of the year for retailers," said Gian Fulgoni, executive chairman emeritus of comScore. "Although we anticipate a marginal slowdown in the digital commerce growth rate from last year's 15% level, the overall economic outlook is positive."

In addition, although the decision by many retailers to open stores on Thanksgiving may dampen Black Friday sales and soften the overall spending rate, strong online commerce growth should compensate. Spending on Cyber Monday (Nov. 30) is expected to become the heaviest online spending day in history for the sixth straight year with about $3 billion in online commerce, with roughly $500 million (17%) coming from mobile devices.