Online sales in January surged 18 per cent compared to the year before, according to figures released by UK internet retailer's trade body the IMRG.
The figures indicate the amount spent online in January rose to £8.1 billion. The data, unlike the British Retail Consortium and the ONS figures, includes sectors not traditionally thought of as retail such as flights, holidays and tickets to events.
The month also recorded the highest January conversion rate for five years at 4.35 per cent.
Tina Spooner, chief information officer at the IMRG, said: 'The January Index results reveal a strong start to the year, with online sales growth ahead of our expectations.'
He said: 'The number of browsers converting to buyers reached the highest levels recorded in the month of January since 2009 and this, together with the 18 per cent annual growth in e-retail sales, appears to be evidence that we are seeing an overall increase in consumer confidence.'
However, growth in the online clothing sector slowed to just 9 per cent compared to a year earlier compared to a rise of 17 per cent in December. The IMRG said the lower rate of growth compared to the festive season may be an indication that retailers were discounting less following a strong performance over the festive trading period.
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