Net sales
Miserable July weather has forced Brits to shop online, with internet sales growing at their fastest rate since the recession hit.
Research by etail industry body, the IMRG, revealed online sales grew by 18 percent in July compared with the same month a year earlier, recording the biggest leap since 2007, according to The BBC.
UK shoppers trawling the web for bargains reportedly spent a collective £5bn online in July, with UK retail sales heading skywards faster than expected.
The Office of National Statstics reportedly said sales volumes increased by 1.1 percent since June across nearly all non-food sectors.
As well as a dodgy British summer, the IMRG believes the World Cup could be behind many Brits staying at home and shopping from the comfort of their computers.
The report found the average UK shopper splashed £81 online during July, with football themed discounts and special offers tempting people to part with their cash.
Travel sales also soared by a third compared with July 2009 as soggy Brits sought to escape the rain, however maybe surprisingly alcohol sales fell, perhaps provoked by England's early exit from the World Cup.
Chris Webster, head of retail consulting and technology at Capgemini, the research firm behind the online sales index with IMRG, reportedly said: "Although online retail sales survived the recession more convincingly than High Street sales, the last two years or so have no doubt been shaky at times. It is really encouraging to see growth levels returning to those seen pre-2007 and before consumer confidence was knocked by the financial crisis and the recession."
While Brits may have shopped their summer away, US rapper Snoop Dogg has been busy raking in a cool $200,000 from selling virtual bits and pieces on social networks and virtual worlds, according to music marketing website Sandbox.
Putting the UK's online shopping habit growth to shame, Snoop's windfall comes from a deal he only finalised with virtual branding firm Virtual Greats in mid may.
The firm claims Snoop's items are 2.5 times as popular as comparable non-Snoop items, like clothes for avatars- presumably with bling. Snoop was reportedly enthusiastic about his latest money spinner and said: "My virtual items are off tha chain jack. It's a world and a movement that I have been down with since day one."
