UK households are biggest online spenders: report
The UK spends more online per household than any other country, a new report shows.
Internet spending per household was the equivalent of $5,900 in 2015, higher than Norway at $5,400, the US ($4,500) and Australia ($4,000), according to the figures.
The report from the UK Cards Association also revealed that last year, overall card spending online in the UK reached £154bn, averaging £422m a day.
That is an increase of 28% since 2014, when online spending amounted to £120bn.
Spending on entertainment accounted for one in four online card purchases.
A quarter of all card spending (26%) was online last year, up from 22% in 2014, with 1.8 billion purchases made online at an average of 150 million a month - an increase of 38% from 2014.
Nearly four in every 10 pounds spent on travel is paid for online, with 54% of spending on flights made through the internet.
Consumers now go online for a quarter (23%) of all clothing spending, while 67% of concert ticket spending and 61% of cinema, theatre and dance spending is done on the internet.
The figures revealing the strength of online spending come at a time when traditional "bricks and mortar" stores are struggling to respond.
Debenhams (Frankfurt: D2T.F - news) has been the latest retailer to come under pressure, with the former Amazon executive now leading the chain considering store closures and planning a new strategy based on engaging customers via their mobile phones.