Amazon's UK sales growth slowed to half the rate of the previous two years as rivals stepped up their game and others capitalised on stores to push their 'click and collect' services.
Amazon filed UK figures in its Annual Report to the US stock exchange which showed sales in 2013 rose 12.5 per cent, or £800 million, to $7.3 billion (£4.5 billion) from $6.48 billion in 2012.
Taking into account the exchange rate, sales actually increased at a more respectable 14 per cent. But that compares to an increase of 22 per cent a year earlier, a rise of $1 billion to $6.48 billion.
In 2011 net sales increased 31 per cent, or $1.4 billion, to $5.35 billion.
It is not clear what effect including Amazon's Marketplace would have on the figures (but estimates we have seen suggest they could double turnover) and Amazon do not release those figures.
But it perhaps explains why Amazon has been so keen to grow sales in fashion - a project that has not yet been as successful as the company would have liked.
Fashion has been one of the fastest growing sectors over the past two years with a host of fast fashion pure play retailers entering the market. But Amazon has also faced a number of high street retailers smartening their game - particularly on its key category of electricals where Dixons Retail has been hailed as a turnaround story and John Lewis has been at the forefront of the 'click and collect' phenomenon.
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