Dutch consumers spent nearly €5bn shopping online in the first three months of 2016, according to the quarterly web retail monitor carried out by market research group GFK.

Total spending reached €4.89bn, a rise of 13% on the same period in 2015, GFK said.

The sharpest rise was in spending on food which soared 57%. The increase is likely to be the result of the surge in sales of food boxes containing ready to cook meals, GFK said.

Spending on shoes and accessories was up 47% and on toys, telephone and household equipment 26%. Tickets, travel and insurance accounts for more than half of total online sales and showed more modest growth of 6%, GFK said.