The practice of online shopping will be supported by the increasing prevalence of mobile applications and gadgets, giving greater control to the consumer.

This is according to the director of eDigitalResearch, Chris Russell, who predicted that the biggest change in the internet shopping market will be the behaviour of those carrying out transactions.

"New smart mobile devices and applications [will bring] more empowerment to the shopper - online and offline," he said.

In addition, Mr Russell observed that customer experiences look set to improve, with better features on websites, including video and product images, as well as greater availability of stock and enhanced search options.

He also forecast that "click and collect services" will be on the rise as fuel prices are likely to climb once more.

Mr Dawson's comments come after recent research from IMRG and Capgemini found that, in November, £5.3 billion was spent on the web, with sales up by 25 per cent compared to October.

Author:  Adrian Medland