When it comes to on-line purchasing, the Brits are the biggest spenders. In a survey that looked at on-line spending last year in Europe it was found that our country makes almost a third of total internet purchases.

Buying on-line in the UK added up to a massive £38billion in 2009, accounting for 30% of total European internet sales, according to price comparison site Kelkoo. In second and third place were Germany and France respectively.

And while many people are tightening their purse strings it appears they are increasingly likely to spend on ecommerce and e-retail sites. On-line sales in the UK increased by 12% last year, items bought over the internet make up 9.5% of all retail sales in this country.

It’s thought that this trend is set to continue. The report believes the on-line market will continue to expand this year growing by more than 10%.