Online sales rose 19.2 per cent in January compared to the same month a year earlier as shoppers used 'click and collect' services and retailers tailored their offers to customer needs.
The increase - which only includes non-food products - compared to a 13.5 per cent rise in the same month in 2013 when many shoppers went online to buy goods amid heavy snow which prevented them going to the shops. The figures are from the BRC-KPMG Online Retail Sales Monitor.
The growth was the strongest since January 2009 and it means online sales in January represented 17.4 per cent of non-food sales. Total sales in January across online and shops increased 5.4 per cent, benefiting from less disruptive weather.
BRC director general Helen Dickinson said: 'Embracing omnichannel sales has been a big driver of business for UK retailers. We've seen an ever-more discerning customer taking good advantage of click and collect and other innovative services. The combination of an online presence with a bricks and mortar offering is becoming increasingly compelling.'
She said: 'There's no doubt that online is driving structural change within the sector and retailers will continue to invest heavily to provide the seamless experience between channels that today's shoppers demand.'
She added: 'Our figures showed that 17.4 per cent of all non-food spending is online and we're expecting this number to continue to rise as operations become more efficient, collections more convenient, deliveries faster and technology more integrated.'
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