The warmer weather has led to a surge in online spending on clothing and garden furniture, figures show today.
Consumers spent £4.5 billion on the internet in March, up 15% on last year, according to the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index.
Shoppers spent 42% more on home and garden-related purchases last month compared with February, while sales of clothing up by 27%.
Travel sector sales fell by 9% compared with February following the annual flurry of Christmas and ski holidays, but year-on-year sales rose by 14%, suggesting Britons are abandoning "staycations" as consumer confidence improves.
Capgemini retail consulting and technology vice-president Chris Webster said: "These are solid figures, and prove the continued resilience of online retail. As the weather starts to improve, this is having an impact on sales of garden furniture as people plan for summer barbecues."
IMRG spokeswoman Tina Spooner said: "The 15% yearly growth in online sales is very positive and is evidence that e-retail continues to outperform the high street."
The index shows that retailers with an online and a store presence are performing the strongest, with sales up 28% year on year. Sales for retailers with just an online presence rose by just 1%.
