Internet sales rose to £4.2bn in July, up from £2.3bn in the same month in 2006.

Apart from the incentive if wet weather, online sales are also picking up because more retailers are improving their websites and consumers are getting faster internet connections.

Analysts have been worried that higher interest rates would deter consumer as the Bank of England raised its main borrowing cost five times in the past year to their current level of 5.75%.

Earlier this month UK retail sales increased by more than many analysts had expected in July but the increase was mainly driven by discounting as shops and companies tried to tempt consumers into spending their money.

IMRG said that the fastest growing sector of online sales was electrical goods, which almost doubled from a year earlier but sales of clothing and accessories also increased by nearly 60%.