The rise of ‘online influencers’ has been catalysed by platforms like YouTube, Twitter and Instagram in recent years, This means that it is much easier for people to keep up with what their favourite celebrity is wearing, buying and eating on a daily basis.

This not only alters retail habits among adults, but is having a big impact on the types of items that parents buy for their children, as well as how much they are spending online, according to a study from Rakuten Marketing.

A quarter of parents questioned in the report said that they place more trust in online influencers than they do in any other outlet or platform. And 30 per cent said that they have started to increase the amount of cash they splash out on purchases made via safe shopping online for their kids because of influencers.

On average, it costs parents £567 each year to buy the clothing for a child, meaning for households with multiple children the expense is much higher.

Analysts revealed that Facebook manages to exert the greatest degree of influence over shopping habits, dictating which items of clothing and other products will be most appealing to kids and parents alike.

The impact of social media has also enabled celebrities and other influencers to share content relating not only to themselves but also their wider families. And so it is not surprising that 27 per cent of parents said that seeing the child of an influencer wearing a particular garment online had prompted them to make a purchase.

The fact that traditional magazines and other media outlets are having less impact on buying habits in the e-commerce era is significant. Retailers are well aware of this, choosing to partner with celebrities on marketing deals that target fans via social media.