Next overtakes Tesco in IMRG/Hitwise Hot Shops List, while DIY retailers drop down through the ranks, as last quarter's demand for outdoor living and summer ranges makes for a tough comparison.
Next's online store climbed two places to be ranked third in the latest quarterly Hot Shops List. As a result, Tesco dropped to fourth place from its previous position in the list's top three in May 2011, while Amazon UK held onto the number one spot, closely followed by Argos in second place.

IMRG chief information officer Tina Spooner said: "Amazon UK and Argos have been heading up the list for a while now, but competition seems to be arriving from Next, who has made great gains over the past year, rising from 8th to 3rd in the space of just 15 months."

The quarterly roll of the top 50 UK e-tailers ranked according to site traffic, also revealed a decline in the position of UK DIY stores, with B&Q's website dropping out of the top 10 and falling to 18th place in the latest list. Homebase also fell from 20th place, to 39 this quarter. However, it is likely the home improvement retailers had previously benefited from an increase in demand for outdoor living ranges early on in the season. Discussing their climb earlier in the year, Experian Hitwise director of research Robin Goad described a big push to buy garden furniture online, "mostly attributable to the pre-summer sunshine and demand for BBQ's."

Home and fashion chain Matalan was described as the success story of the quarter, up 15 places since it was last ranked in May. According to the retailer's Q1 trading statement, UK internet visits to its website reached record levels last month.

Marks & Spencer's website and John Lewis maintained their position in the top 10, while other chains including Sainsbury's, Ikea and House of Fraser fell further down the full list. However, Ms Spooner explains that these retailers have given some of the strongest performances in terms of traffic growth over the past 12 months, with House of Fraser climbing 20 places and both Sainsbury's and Ikea up 12.

The latest Hot Shops list is as follows:

Aug 2011	May 2011
1	1	Amazon UK
2	2	Argos
3	5	Next
4	3	Tesco
5	6	Amazon.com
6	4	Play.com
7	7	Your M&S
8	8	Apple
9	10	John Lewis
10	18	Thomson
11	12	easyJet
12	11	Tesco Direct
13	13	Debenhams
14	17	Expedia.co.uk
15	19	Ryanair
16	15	New Look
17	23	Thomas Cook
18	9	B&Q
19	14	ASOS
20	16	Topshop.com
21	25	The Train Line
22	28	Lastminute.com
23	21	River Island
24	33	Cineworld Cinemas
25	27	LoveFilm.com
26	24	ASDA
27	22	Sainsbury’s
28	46	TravelRepublic.co.uk
29	26	Boots
30	34	House of Fraser
31	36	IKEA
32	29	Currys
33	45	Travelodge UK
34	39	British Airways
35	30	Halfords
36	41	Ticketmaster UK
37		Odeon Cinemas
38	31	Littlewoods.com
39	20	Homebase
40		Matalan
41	43	Very.co.uk
42	38	Comet
43	40	Sportsdirect.com
44		Vue Cinemas
45	37	HMV.com
46	32	ASDA Direct
47	44	QVC UK
48		First Choice
49	42	GAME
50	47	ScrewFix.com