Americans for the first time bought more clothing and shoes online last year than they did computers and software, in a sign of the growing mainstream acceptance of internet shopping.

Shop.org, an association of leading US online retailers, estimated that clothing sales reached $18.3bn in 2006, more than the $17.2bn spent on computers. The group's annual survey of US e-commerce said total internet sales excluding travel rose 29 per cent to $146.5bn. The group estimates that 10 per cent of all US clothing purchases this year will be made online. Overall, e-commerce accounts for 7 per cent of US retail sales.