Latest figures from the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index, reveal the impact the short spell of warm weather had on shoppers’ purse strings in April, recording a 16 per cent rise on the same time last year.

The Travel sector in particular saw a solid performance, increasing 16 per cent year-on-year. Beer, wine and spirits was another well performing sector, which saw a 19 per cent increase on online sales compared to April last year.

Electricals took a hit for the first time since July 2011, down three per cent year-on-year, with the average basket value at £167.

The figures reveal a continuing trend between online-only retailers and those who have both an online and physical presence on the High Street. Online retailers saw growth of 20 per cent year-on-year in April, while multi-channel recorded 14 per cent.

The M-Commerce Index revealed that growth in sales via mobile devices (smartphones and tablets) is slowing, from 243 per cent year-on-year in March to 131 per cent (excluding travel) in April. However, a slowdown in growth is natural as the use of m-commerce and mobile technology becomes more widespread.

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