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Consumers are more willing to spend money online again, after a year of lackluster results.

Reston-based Internet tracking firm comScore says retail e-commerce sales reached $32.9 billion in the second quarter, up 9 percent from a year ago.

The total does not include online travel, auctions, autos or large corporate purchases.

It marks the third straight quarterly gain in year-over-year online sales, after a year of flat or falling quarterly e-commerce totals. Retail sales fell for the first time ever in the fourth quarter of 2008, and declined in both the second and third quarters of 2009.

“The second quarter’s continuation of the first quarter’s strong retail e-commerce growth rates is encouraging,” said comScore (NASDAQ: SCOR) chairman Gian Fulgoni one hour payday loan. “We remain optimistic heading into the second half of the year, but we will be keeping a close eye on unemployment rates, which along with potential uncertainty in the stock market could limit growth in e-commerce spending in the near term.”

Upper income households, or those with annual incomes of $100,000 or more, spent 17 percent more shopping online than they did a year ago, nearly twice overall e-commerce growth last quarter.

Electronics, computers and software, books and magazines were among the biggest sellers online last quarter.

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