Online retailing bucks the high street negative trends.

Latest figures from the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index for March show online sales up 19% compared to the same month last year.

As the recession shows little sign of abating, e-retailing is refusing to follow suit. Month on month sales rose by 9%, with gifts sales showing a particularly positive rise of 18%, as families splashed out on Mothers’ Dday presents.

Clothing, footwear and accessories continued to be the fastest growing sector with a combined growth of 28% compared to the previous month.

Mike Petevinos, Head of Consulting for Retail at Capgemini UK, said: “Online is proving to be a key battle ground for the retail sector during these tough times. Retailers that have developed their online offering have been able to reap the benefits of growing trade online and have also increased their influence over high street trading, as consumers turn to the internet to support their purchase decisions.”

As the high street continues to suffer, new retailers are launching online to resounding success. Naked Wines, an online farmer’s market that champions small winemakers only launched in December 2008, and has already recorded its 10,000th visitor.  MD Rowan Gormley, who also founded Virgin Money and Virgin Wines, has reported that March sales were up 61% from February.

The IMRG Capgemini Index tracks online sales, with regular data contributions from around 80 e-retailers including the Arcadia Group (Burton, Dorothy Perkins, Evans, Miss Selfridge, Top Man, Top Shop, Wallis), New Look, Next and Waitrose.