RESTON, Va. (January 4, 2013)--Online shopping was up this past holiday season, but not by as much as expected, according to a report from ComScore that finds holiday shoppers coughed up $42.3 billion online in November and December.

That represents a 14-percent increase from the same months a year ago.

The holiday season started strong in November, but sales dipped in early December along with consumer confidence, only to rebound during the final days of the season.

Among the biggest sales days were "Free Shipping Day" on Dec. 17 and Christmas Day, when sales rose 36 percent.

It was expected that online sales would go up about 16 percent this year, but the estimates were off, with the increase being only 14 percent.