Online retail sales set to rise 15% this Xmas

This figure is equivalent to £215 being spent online by each person in the UK.

The predicted sales growth is a marked slowdown from the 54 per cent increase enjoyed by retailers online last year.

For the last quarter of the year, sales of clothing and footwear online is expected to rise 25 per cent year on year to £1.27 million. Sales of beer, wine and spirits will be worth £233 million.

The biggest spend online is expected to fall on Monday December 8, when sales could be worth up to £320 million.

IMRG chief executive James Roper said: "British shoppers will beat the crunch with internet prices this Christmas, spending more than £1 billion each week in the run-up. The internet is well established as one of consumers' most powerful economic weapons against tough times.

"Retailers and suppliers will be under extreme pressure to price competitively this year, so there will be a lot of volatility – and fantastic bargains – that the internet uniquely enables canny shoppers to find and grab before anyone else gets the chance."