Online shoppers spending £350m on 'Mega Monday'

Millions of shoppers were expected to rush online today as retailers predicted the busiest day of the year for internet shopping.

Dubbed "Mega Monday", consumers are expected to buy up to £350 million of goods in a bid to ensure presents arrive in time.

Visa said it was expecting 2.4 million online transactions, with a peak at lunchtime and then a second rush after 7pm.

In recent years the Monday closest to the start of December has been the busiest time for online stores because shoppers were confident if they made a purchase that it would arrive in good time.

Richard Chapple, from online store Zavvi.com, said: "Mondays are the busiest day online, and as we approach December people become conscious that Christmas is only around the corner."

However, this year some retailers believe we will have two "Mega Mondays" - with another one next week.

It is hoped the sales could spark a retail revival, with estimates of a 25 per cent increase on last year's sales in the same period.

Dr Steve Perry, commercial director at Visa Europe, said: "In the past year, we've seen a continued increase in online spend on Visa cards, despite the recession.

"In fact, on 2 November, 2009, we surpassed our busiest days for spend in 2008 in the UK.

"There is a particularly strong trend in the use of debit cards on the internet, with debit transactions now accounting for 70 per cent of online purchases."

Books, clothing, CDs, DVDs, toys, computer games and consoles top the sales lists with internet stores.

Online seller Play.com believes that both today and next Monday will be particularly busy. It is expecting to process between 1,000 and 1,100 orders per minute.

Its best-seller predictions include the DVDs Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, Michael McIntyre Live and Star Trek, Stephanie Meyer's book New Moon, computer game Call of Duty - World of Warfare 2 and Susan Boyle's first album I Dreamed A Dream.