VISITS to retail websites via smartphones or tablets are ahead of desktop traffic for the first time, figures show.

Some 52 per cent of visits were made via a mobile, while 36 per cent of UK online sales are completed on a smartphone or tablet - rising to 40 per cent for ­clothing, the latest IMRG Capgemini quarterly benchmarking report reveals.

IMRG information officer, Tina Spooner, said: "With over half of all e-retail ­­traffic coming via smartphones and tablet devices, the latest results reveal a huge landmark in the growth of mobile commerce."