UK households are biggest online spenders

The UK spends more online per household than any other country, a 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.