Booze and knickers back on top in Brits' web shopping

While sales growth is static on the high street, online shopping continues to expand - albeit at a muted pace.

According to the latest IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Index, online sales in February grew by 13 per cent year-on-year.

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One of the categories faring best last month was alcohol. Following the detox drop-off in online booze buying after Christmas, sales in the category rose significantly compared to January.

Month-on-month sales for beers, wines and spirits grew by 30 per cent, which IMRG researchers put down to consumers finishing their detox regimes. The fact that duties will increase next month may also be prompting shoppers to stockpile their favourite tipple.

However, sales in most other categories - including apparel, electricals and health and beauty - fell month-on-month with online retail reporting an 11 per cent drop overall.

Gifts and lingerie escaped the downward trend, however, thanks to the seasonal uplift in spending brought on by Valentine's Day.

Capgemini head of consulting for retail Mike Petevinos said in a statement: "These results show that the strong post-Christmas sales push and a toughening retail market have indeed led to a drop in spending from January to February. However, year-on-year growth for e-retail continues in stark contrast to the high street."