Internet sales soared 21% in January, with consumers spending £5.1bn online, according to the latest IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index.
The report showed that, with less disposable income available, shoppers opted for seasonal discounts on furniture and early holiday bookings online rather than blitzing the January sales on the high street.

The home and garden sector showed impressive growth, possibly thanks to the brief glimpses of an early spring last month and heavy discounting by furniture and DIY chains. After five months of annual decline, the sector made a significant year-on-year leap of 56%, with an average basket spend of £120.

IMRG director of information Tina Spooner said: "While the Index results for January show a very encouraging start to the year for e-retailers, it is important to note this strong growth is on the back of the lowest-ever annual growth recorded in January last year when the e-retail market grew just 4.6%. Multichannel retailers performed well last month with sales growing by almost a third compared with January last year, but the pureplays and catalogue retailers saw annual growth dip to 8% following a year of steady growth in 2010."

According to the report, shoppers spent an average of £195 in January with multichannel retailers, compared to just £92 with online only.