Some products are harder to sell online than others, it is claimed.

eBay sellers that use parcel delivery firms may find it harder to sell certain items.

Online retailers struggle more to sell items that consumers believe they need to feel and touch, according to Internet Retailer magazine editor Don Davis.

He suggested that online shoppers are much more comfortable to buy an item from the internet if it is something simple.

"A book is a book, and consumers are happy to buy it online. A diamond necklace is something else," he explained.

Mr Davis added that retail web sites have become much better at marketing their goods in recent years by providing images, videos and other information that makes shoppers more at ease to part with their cash.

"But those complex and highly considered items are still a challenge for retailers to sell online," he said.

His comments come after the second annual PayPal Online Retail Report predicted that internet retail spending will grow by over 36 per cent in the next 18 months.

Posted by Sarah Gower

Article Added: 06/08/2010 09:18:35