There has been another record rise in online shop sales, according to the latest data by KPMG and the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

The Online Retail Sales Monitor revealed a 14.9 per cent jump in sales of non-food products in the 12 months to July. This time last year the annual increase was just 7.9 per cent.

It gives fresh momentum to growth in online sales, which have been outstripping high street or ‘real-world’ sales for countless months.

Yesterday was the twentieth anniversary of the first secure transaction made online. After a tentative start, the popularity of ecommerce has surged in the last decade.

Further BRC/KPMG figures show that online sales accounted for 16.7 per cent of all retail activity last month, up from 15.3 per cent in July last year.

David McCorquodale, KPMG’s head of retail, said: "Retailers captured shoppers’ attention online through the use of targeted and innovative digital campaigns, linking products to holiday plans, festivals and sporting events taking place across the UK.

“This clever use of customer data and technology paid dividends for the sector, with non-food online sales soaring to record levels."