Previously, ONS figures showed that 10% of total UK retail sales took place online in January, while in February 2010, 8% of UK transactions were online.

Across UK retail sales, the value of sales in February rose by 5% compared to the same time last year, while the volume was up by 1.3%.  Total sales for the month were put at £23.9bn, with weekly sales of £5.9bn.

In a separate study, retail websites now reach 75% of the European internet audience each month, with the UK leading the way.  Results released from a study of online shopping in Europe, showed that in January 2011, 270.6 million unique visitors in Europe visited sites in the retail category.  This represents a market penetration of 74.5 percent of Internet users, up 8.5 percentage points compared to last year.

Retail sites also showed high penetration in individual markets, reaching at least 75 percent of the total online audience in 7 out of 18 European markets.  In 2010, approximately one out of every ten Internet sessions across Europe included a visit to a retail site.

PureNet chief executive, Dr Paul Gibson, said: “February was a good month for online retail, up 20% on the same period last year.  Whilst some of this growth can be attributed to a weak start last year, nearly £500m spent online each week is a very significant figure and in stark contrast to the weak sales experienced by traditional retailers.

“E-commerce operators have the right to be reasonably optimistic about the online market in the future.  UK shoppers spent a staggering amount online during January and February, a clear indicator of how strong consumer confidence is in the online channel even during a period in which high street spending is down.”