A survey by Verdict Research indicates a 33.4% increase in online spending last year, reaching a total of £10.9 billion.

3,000 customers were surveyed, with two thirds of them stating that they shopped more often online due to cheaper, faster broadband connections.

Verdict also predicted that this growth in online spending will continue, and be worth £28 billion by the year 2011, which would be about 8.9% of the UK's total retail sales.

Whilst many retailers have enthusiastically catered to their online market, Verdict identified three groups of retailers who are not so eager to join in.

Food, value and specialist retailers tended not to have such a presence online, due to the expense or lack of infrastructure needed to make an impact on the world wide web.

The survey did not include the sale of insurance, flights or tickets, but concentrated on retailed goods.

Verdict believes that online spending will triple in the next three years.