Online spending increased 16 per cent in April, according to the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index. That concealed a shift to online-only outlets which increased 20 per cent in the month compared to multi-channel retailers which increased 14 per cent, the research indicated.
The research shows that the shift is similar to a pattern last year that showed a move back to online-only shopping after Christmas. It suggests shoppers rely more on traditional high street stores in the Christmas period, it said.
'The figures reveal a continuing trend between online-only retailers and those who have both an online and physical presence on the high street,' the IMRG said.
'Similar to what happened in 2012, the performance of online and multi-channel retailers converged during the Christmas period, but have since diverged with online outperforming their multi-channel counterparts. This suggests that shoppers are becoming more confident in the internet as a transaction medium, and a result of the increased adoption of new technologies and services - mobile devices, social media etc - introduced by online only retailers,' it said.
The research also indicated a 'natural' slow-down in sales of sales to mobile devices from 243 per cent in March to 131 per cent in April compared to a year earlier.
But the IMRG said the overall growth of retail sales in April, which has resulted in an overall 15 per cent growth in the year to date, was ahead of the 12 per cent forecast in 2013.
'We expect UK.com to continue to dominate the retail picture as the recovery gathers greater momentum,' said a spokesman.
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