The latest report from the British Retail Consortium (BCR), has revealed that January was another high octane month for e-commerce in the UK, with 18.4 per cent of all retail sales made last month originating from safe shopping online, according to the Daily Mail.

Back in January of 2014, just 11.7 per cent of retail activity across the country was channelled through the internet, showing that there has been significant growth in this market. And, moreover, it reveals that even with the UK being seen as having a relatively mature e-commerce market, it is still in the early stages of its emergence as an increasingly dominant force.

Interestingly, one of the biggest winners last month was the footwear segment, with 40 per cent of all shoes purchased by female shoppers being sold through sites offering safe shopping online.

Fashion as a whole remains a leading light in the e-commerce world, with women shown in various studies to be turning away from the high street in order to pursue their retail desires online.

BRC analysts claim that people are choosing to shop online for shoes and other fashion items because they can be sure of getting a quality retail experience, that can improve on what is available on the high street.

January's sales period was another big boost to sales online and BRC spokesperson, Helen Dickinson, pointed out that only November had been a busier month for the e-commerce market.

Internationally, there is no nation that can top the UK in terms of annual e-commerce spending and the regularity with which purchases are made. So at this point, it seems inevitable that online shopping will overtake the high street; the only question remaining is at what point this will actually take place.