Yes, 2006, in comparison to 2005.  We’re used to seeing September’s stats in mid-October, so this seems rather slow by comparison.  Still, governments are rarely known for working quickly, and at least this data is pretty much guaranteed to be accurate and impartial.

On to the facts, then.  Internet sales reached £130.4 billion in 2006, according to the ONS, and according to the current exchange rate, that equals about $269.7 billion.  Also, the percentage of businesses selling things online rose from 5.4 to 6.5 between 2005 and 2006.

This information indicates that the Internet is becoming an increasingly important part of the business world.  Admittedly, most of us already knew that, but it’s always interesting to quantify these things.

On that note: although I’d guess that the average person is willing to call it quits at this point, overenthusiastic stats fan are more than welcome to get into the ONS’s 54-page PDF document.