UK consumers spent a record £7.66 billion on Internet purchases during the 10-week run-up to Christmas 2006, over 50% more than the amount spent in 2005, according to figures from industry body Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG).
IMRG says online sales soaring close to a billion pounds a week during each of the first three weeks in December.
The £7.66 billion spent online during Christmas 2006 is 54% higher than the £4.98 billion spent online during 2005's festive season, and more than double the £3.33 billion recorded in the run up to Christmas 2004.
E-retail sales worth £3.6 billion were recorded for just December 2006.
Jo Evans, MD, IMRG, says Web sites struggled to cope with the soaring traffic levels, stocks sold out early and delivery companies were at full stretch: "Sales demand outstripped supply capacity by a significant margin, otherwise sales would have been higher still."
IMRG says Internet sales for the whole of 2006 reached £30.2 billion, slightly higher than its forecast of £30 billion.
Meanwhile UK cash machine operator Link says a record number of withdrawals were made in December 2006, with over £9,767,000,000 withdrawn from ATMs across the UK, up 7.3% compared with 2005.
Link says the week leading up to Christmas was particularly active with over £2,774,000,000 withdrawn from cash machines, up 10.9% compared with 2005.
There was also a final dash for cash on the Friday before Christmas - 22 December –the busiest day ever for the Link network when the average withdrawal rose to £82 and over £616,900,000 was withdrawn, an increase of 10.4% on the Friday before Christmas in 2005. In the hour between 12 noon and one pm, £56.9 million was withdrawn, nearly £1 million per minute, says Link.
Graham Mott, head of planning and development at Link, says: "This was a record year for seasonal cash machine transactions with figures reaching new heights this Christmas."