In five years' time, UK online shopping spending will hit £30 billion, according to a new research project.

The study by Verdict Research highlighted the battle ground for small business in IT wanting to get a slice of the e-retail spend, which is expected to hit £2.4 billion by the end of 2009.

Malcolm Pinkerton, a senior retail analyst with Verdict Research, explained that retailers will have to graft to ensure they get a place in the market, with the expert highlighting the power of technology and how it can be used as an accessory.

He continued: "The key for individual retailers is to formulate two clear strategies: one for succeeding through the recession and one targeting growth beyond this, as the online channel begins to approach maturity."

One such investment may be customer relationship management, which Gartner described as an essential investment despite the economic climate and lower IT budgets.

A recent Connect survey found that the two major concerns about outsourcing services like IT support were 'loss of control' (56 per cent) and 'budget over-runs' (43 per cent).