With the countdown to Christmas well and truly on and the weather across much of the UK resembling the Arctic, you could be forgiven for being less than keen to trudge the high street in search of the perfect gifts for your nearest and dearest.

If so, you're not alone.  According to online retail monitor IMRG, us Brits will spend £6.4bn online in December - a double digit increase on last year.

How much is Online Retail Spend Increasing?

However, this isn't an isolated phenomenon.  Across January to October, total UK retail spend online has grown by 17% to a whopping £45.6 billion, with October alone up 23% compared to 2009.  Technology has no doubt contributed to this - broadband take-up has now passed 70%, and the growth in smart phone ownership has meant 4.2 million adults now visit retail websites through their mobile.  Traditional high street retailers have also jumped on the bandwagon, with H&M, Gap and Zara all opening online stores in the last 12 months.

Are Attitudes to On-Line Spending Changing?

There is also evidence that our attitudes to purchasing online are changing.  While books, music, tickets and groceries have always fared well online, the idea that items like clothing and electricals need to be seen 'in the flesh' first is increasingly being challenged - across September, IMRG reported a 23% year on year increase in spend on electricals and 28% growth for clothing, footwear and accessories.  The online fashion retailer ASOS also reported a 54% increase in sales across the first three months of the year as people searched for better value online.

The Cool Infographic Explaining Christmas Expenditure

The infographic below highlights some of the key numbers around the growth of online spend across 2010: