Consumer spending online now accounts for 20% of all debit and credit card transactions, with the average UK household set to spend £4,000 online next year.
Data compiled by Barclaycard shows that online sales are growing by around 11% a year.

Although spending online in DIY and garden centres is comparatively low when compared to other sectors, the booming housing market has led to huge increases recently with 37% growth this year.

Figures from IMRG, an industry association for online retail, support Barclaycard's data. It predicts the UK will spend £107bn online this year, breaking the £100bn per annum mark for the first time.

A third of all UK online sales are made using a mobile device, which highlights the importance of retailers having a mobile site and a smartphone app to enhance the purchasing experience for customers.

Barclaycard managing director, Chris Wood, said: "Online shopping has come a long way since it first emerged in 1984. More and more of us are turning to the web to research, compare prices and buy everything from cinema trips and electronics to the latest fashion, making it an inextricable part of modern retail."

Chief operations and policy officer at IMRG, Andrew McClelland, said: "Today's consumers are just getting to grips with the opportunities that technology brings to their everyday lives.

"Over the next few years, internet shopping will increasingly become the norm as more of us become accustomed to researching and buying products through online stores.

"The devices we purchase from are also likely to change in the next few years, whether it's through shopping online using our smartwatch, or programming our smartfridges to order groceries online as soon as they've run out."