UK online sales top £23bn

By Matt Whipp

Posted on 4 Dec 2003 at 16:39

The Office of National Statistics has published figures showing that last year online sales leapt 39 per cent to £23.3bn for UK firms doing business online.

The big guys had the lion's share, with companies employing 1,000 people or more accounting for 52 per cent of the pie.

The main purchases were for physical products. However second place shows that increasing numbers of UK citizens are managing their gas, electricity and other utility accounts online: 27 per cent was accounted for by utilities companies, along with the manufacturing and construction sectors.

UK businesses also increased their spending online, too: up an annual 14 per cent to £22.9bn.