The CEO of UK retail consultancy Javelin Group, Tony Stockil, has told 'The Future of Retail' conference in London that annual online spending per UK broadband household will grow from £1,033 today to £2,259 by 2012!

Presently just 5.4% of UK retail sales (excludes ticketing and travel) are done online, though this is predicted to reach 12.6% by 2012 and possibly even as high as 30% by 2020. Thanks to the early take-up of dialup Internet access during 1999, the UK has remained one of Europe's strongest e-commerce markets.

Though our broadband infrastructure may not be the strongest, we also benefit from better penetration rates than other parts of Europe with 57% of UK households being connected. This compares with 50% in Germany, 45% in France and 39% in Spain. However, we're still relative minnows next to the Netherlands 67%.

For comparisons sake, Germany will grow from £552 in 2008 to £972 in 2012 and France from £527 to £928 over the same period.