Wet weather this summer means shoppers in the UK have been spending record amounts online rather than risk heading out to the shops, a report has found.

Online sales in July broke the £4bn a month barrier for the first time, according to the monthly sales index from the Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG).

In its report, the industry body for global e-retailing found that online spending hit £4.2bn during July this year compared to £2.34bn in July 2006.

Electrical goods such as digital cameras, MP3 players and laptops remain popular products, but online sales of clothes and groceries are beginning to outstrip gadgets.

IMRG chief executive James Roper says online sales of such goods was up nearly two-thirds from last July. “We don’t get too much visibility on the actual products bought but clothing and groceries are the sectors where more and more people are beginning to buy online," he said.

Despite such a huge overall growth, Roper thinks the appetite for online shopping is unlikely to be sated. He said: "With nearly half of homes yet to acquire broadband and massive potential for improvement available in every aspect of it, strong e-retail growth is set to continue for many years to come. "

However, Roper pointed out that consumer needs and attitudes had changed since the internet began. Now consumers have "wised up" they are looking beyond the cheapest prices to companies offering a wider range of products, transparency in costs and additional services such as support and warranties.