Online sales soared by 17 per cent year-on-year last month, according to new figures.
The IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index showed that internet sales witnessed the highest growth this year during July 2012, driven largely by clothing and electrical sales.
Online sales grew nine per cent compared to June, totalling £6.5 billion worth of spending at internet retailers, which works out at £128 per person on average.
Clothing sales leapt by 15 per cent year-on-year and 18 per cent compared to June 2012, as retailers offered ongoing promotions and discounts to combat the wet weather.
Meanwhile, electrical goods witnessed a 30 per cent increase in sales in comparison to the same period last year, with home entertainment centres and digital devices in demand for spectators keen to watch Team GB's Olympic performance.
While the direct impact of the Olympics is yet to be fully realised, Chris Webster, head of retail consulting and technology at Capgemini, said: "The return to such high growth will be welcomed by online retailers."
He added:"Retailers, both online and offline, were offered a unique opportunity to build an international base of customers, so it will be interesting to see whether the UK successfully capitalised on the millions of additional visitors to Britain."
Average basket spend rose 23 per cent, with shopping via mobile devices continuing to grow in popularity.
M-commerce sales jumped a massive 313 per cent on the same time last year, the figures showed.
Tina Spooner, chief information officer at IMRG, Tina Spooner explained the figures saying: "July saw the strongest Index performance year-to-date in terms of annual growth, with sales peaking during the second week of the month when many retailers launched their summer sales."
She added: "[Retailers] that focus on optimising their websites for this new breed of shopper will, no doubt reap the benefits of their investment."
This could involve driving engagement through strong branding across websites, in-store and packaging such as paper bags and gift labels. |