The latest IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index showed estimated sales of £4.1 million.

Valentine's Day gifts helped online retail sales rise after a lull in January, new figures have revealed.

According to the latest statistics from the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index, an estimated £4.1 million was spent online last month, an increase of 13 per cent on the total for the same month last year.

Traditional Valentine's Day gifts were ignored in favour of more intimate items, with gift sales falling by nearly a third in the week prior to the holiday.

Lingerie and beauty product sales jumped 30 per cent and 25 per cent respectively.

Chris Webster, vice president of retail and consulting technology at Capgemini, said the figures paint an encouraging picture.

"It is reassuring to see that romance hasn't been lost in the recession and shoppers clearly haven't lost the love for online retail … despite online retail's maturity, it is still showing strong growth levels of 13 per cent," he added.

Finlay Clark, senior retail strategist at bigmouthmedia, recently stated that British consumers are "sophisticated online shoppers" and this has caught the attention of overseas retailers keen to boost their online presence.

Posted by Rob Elliott

Article Added: 23/03/2010 09:29:55