DIY equipment and garden and outdoor goods are being tipped to rise rapidly up the list of products most bought over the internet, according to a new study.
Parcel delivery company DPD asked around 2,000 adults in the UK about their ecommerce purchases over the last year and about what they thought they would be buying online in the year ahead.

It found that in the last 12 months 63% had bought books, 61% had bought clothing and footwear, 54% DVDs and 43% CDs, making these the most popular online purchases.

Thirty-two per cent had purchased beauty and healthcare products, 30% kitchen and home goods, 28% toys and games, 25% electrical and photographic goods, 25% garden and outdoor equipment and 23% software and games.

However, the collection of items most frequently bought online looks set to change considerably, with DIY equipment moving fast up the list.

Asked about what they would consider buying online over the coming year, the number of people who said they would purchase DIY equipment rose by 67% - putting it second on the list of the top 10 fastest-growing product categories. It was overtaken only by sporting equipment, which rose by 69%. Garden and outdoor products rose by 58% and kitchen and home goods by 44%.

The other fastest-growing categories are software and games, PCs/tablet computers, electrical and photographic, toys and games, mobile phones and beauty and healthcare.