Ker-ching! Europeans to spend €100bn online

Europeans are spending ever more money online with research out today suggesting the total spent online during 2006 is likely to hit €100bn.

That works out at an impressive average of €1,000 per person for a staggering 100 million internet shoppers across Europe, and it is UK shoppers who are leading the charge.

The average UK online shopper will spend €1,744 this year with their favourite websites.

According to Forrester Research we're spending more on travel websites than any other ecommerce sites. Currently a third of all online spending goes on booking trips, according to Jaap Favier, research director consumer markets at Forrester.

Favier predicts the travel boom will continue and grow to around €77bn by 2011 - an increase of 133 per cent over the coming five years.

Other rapidly growing areas are also in leisure with online off-licences and wine clubs booming and expected to enjoy 283 per cent growth over the coming five years, according to Forrester's figures.

Overall ecommerce sales will rise to €263bn by 2011 - a phenomenal sum which will be spent by 174 million shoppers.