Record online sales in November

Online shoppers spent a record £5.4bn last month, underlining the steady growth in retailing via the internet over the holiday period.

According to the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index, this amount equates to just under £90 per person in the UK. The figure is 65 per cent higher than the same period last year. The researchers believe the growth rate is due to shoppers leaving online spending until later each year, with revenue growth in the preceding months declining, as November's online sales increases.

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Christmas gifts and alcohol were the highest selling categories, followed by health and beauty, accessories, lingerie and electrical goods.

In a statement, John Lewis Partnership head of web selling David Walmsley, said: "Christmas kicked in with a vengeance in November. We saw above target sales across larger items such as furniture, with home technology outperforming expectations as well. The week ending 8 December was our biggest ever week [for online sales] growing by a stunning 59 per cent."