Growth in the use of tablet computers for shopping is outstripping that of smartphones by a factor of four-to-one, technology giant Rakuten says.

A study of shopping trends in 14 markets shows ecommerce sales from tablets shot up nearly 42 per cent in the last 12 months, compared with 9.7 per cent growth in smartphone-based transactions.

Among other findings the UK has overtaken the US in proportional tablet use, with 12.2 per cent of people here preferring tablets compared with 11.3 per cent across the Atlantic.

Carol Dray, marketing director of Rakuten’s Play.com said: “We’re continuing to see a shift in how consumers interact with retailers through digital channels. Just four years after the launch of Apple’s iPad, tablets are fast-becoming the most popular device for shopping online.

“With tablet’s larger displays offering a more enjoyable experience than most smartphones, it seems bigger is better, however many retailers are failing to measure up when optimising their online presence and apps.”

Rakuten also spotted evidence of what it calls “social fatigue” with a slight drop in the number of people recommending purchases through social networks.