Online sales surpass £4bn

Web retailers see trading surge during February

Web sales in February increased by 13 per cent year-on-year

Web shopping activity increased by 13 per cent year-on-year to £4.1bn in February due to Valentine’s Day, according to the latest IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index.

In February last year, shoppers spent £3.6bn on purchases made through the web.

The boost came despite a four per cent decrease over the previous month driven by a seasonal dip following the festive season, says the report.

Sales of traditional gift items such as flowers and hampers decreased by 31 per cent, while purchases of lingerie and beauty products grew by 30 per cent and 25 per cent respectively.

Multichannel retailers fared better than pure-play firms, with the former group experiencing a sales rise of 24 per cent year-on-year and online-only sales increasing by just four per cent.