Sales of electrical items online during July were the highest of any month this year, up 7.5% on last month, according to IMRG (Interactive Media in Retail Group) - the industry body for e- retailers - and Capgemini.

UK shoppers spent more than pounds 4.8bn online in July, an increase of 11.3% on June.

The growth is in sharp contrast with British Retail Consortium figures showing high street sales in July were 0.9% down on June.

Poor weather affected barbeque-related alcohol sales, which saw slower year-on-year growth, but shoppers turned to clothing, footwear and accessories, which grew by 22.8% in July.

The e-retail sales index tracks online transactions based on data from around 60 retailers. These include internet-only retailers and high street chains.

(c) 2008 Daily Post; Liverpool. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.