Online shops complement the their bricks-and-mortar counterparts, according to research published by eBay, with ‘omni-channel’ shopping options preferred by consumers.

The study was carried out by Deloitte, analysing data from 21 leading retailers in Europe and 2,000 shoppers from the UK and Germany.

It shows that 95 per cent of dress sales made outside a physical shop come on top of UK high street sales; meaning online takes just five per cent of sales away from ‘real-world’ shops.

In Germany, the same was found of 98 per cent of white goods sales.

The study suggests successful retailers allow consumers to hop seamlessly from channel to channel, and provide opportunities to merge virtual and real worlds through Click & Collect and mobile payments.

Ian Geddes, head of retail at Deloitte, said: “It suggests that a broad presence across channels can in many scenarios positively influence store sales.

“It highlights a significant opportunity for retailers to use a mix of stores and online presence to boost the bottom line, selling at home and abroad.”