21 January 2008
Internet shopping hit an "all-time high" in popularity over the festive season, new figures from e-commerce body IMRG show.
According to the organisation's latest e-Retail Sales Index, £15.2 billion was spent online in the UK in the last quarter of 2007.
Across the year as a whole, £47 billion was spent - 54% up on 2006's total of £30 billion.
Chief Executive of IMRG, James Roper, said: "Virtually all the growth in retail is now online - there is no growth anywhere else and it is taking more and more business from the high street to online channels.
"Internet has become the dynamo of retail. It is where all the growth is now."
Anthoula Madden, Vice President at consultants Capgemini - which carried out the study - added: "Whilst we are yet to see high streets' sales decline there can be no doubt online is growing its share at the expense of bricks and mortar retailers and we believe that this trend will continue."