Small and medium-sized enterprises “are in danger” of missing out on online sales as shoppers flock to grab deals from web-only retailers, a group has warned.

Enterprise Nation, which published the report, said those firms with nine or fewer employees are least likely to reap the benefits of digital trade.

The latest figures show that online sales jumped by 21 per cent in December 2016, accounting for some £130 billion of the UK’s total economy.

But just 9.7 per cent of those sales were taken by Britain’s smallest businesses, the report reveals, compared with 56 per cent of sales from firms with 1,000 or more employees.

Enterprise Nation has now launched The Go and Grow Online campaign, aiming at helping smaller businesses with getting a large slice of the digital pie.

Over the next 12 months, the campaign hopes to reach 10,000 micro businesses with face-to-face practical training, essential resources, and connection to fellow business owners.

Emma Jones, founder of Enterprise Nation, said: “Big firms have the resources to invest in the latest digital e-commerce and m-commerce functionality, SEO, marketing, and everything in between.

 “Smaller firms have been slower on the uptake over the years, and seem to have less appetite for it. They are busy simply running the business and don’t always see the benefits that digital can deliver.

“And yet the digital world is an area that they absolutely can compete with larger firms on. Our trainers will be the people who will deliver the know-how where it’s needed and provide as much of the on-the-ground assistance as these businesses need.”