UK shoppers splash out £250bn online since 2000

Web shoppers could spend as much as £56bn this year

UK shoppers have spent a whopping £250bn online since 2000, according to the IMRG's 10th annual report into online sales.

The IMRG, which looks after the interests of British e-retailers, said the UK has a love affair with online shopping that shows no sign of abating, and predicted that consumers could spend as much as £56bn this year alone.

“The combination of ease, convenience and 24/7 access is incredibly compelling," said IMRG chief executive James Roper.

"We expect to see that relationship strengthen over the coming decade and by 2020 we predict that the internet will account for half of all retail sales and influence most of the other half.”

The IMRG and Capgemini, which co-wrote the report, predicted annual online sales in the UK could be worth £123bn by 2021. However, to hit these heights firms will have to make sure that they give customers the best possible service.

Chris Webster, vice president, retail consulting and technology, Capgemini, said, “The change in shopping habits over the last decade has been phenomenal. The challenge for the next 10 years will be for e-retailers to increase their share of the market even further and come up with new ways to extend brand loyalty.”

The IMRG and Capgemini have also released a list of the 100 hottest e-commerce firms. Amazon is top, followed by Argos, entertainment store Play.com and Apple’s web store.