James Bond game also popular
UK consumers have started their Christmas shopping online already, according to Hitwise.

Searches for Christmas gifts have soared 62 per cent in the past week and were up 81 per cent on last year.

Video game consoles, in particular Nintendo DS, were among the top 20 product terms used for online searches.

UK internet searches for Nintendo wii increased more rapidly than any other leading gaming console, ahead of the December 8 release date and are set to be the hot Christmas product.

Online searches for video games popular. Casino Royale, James Bond, Xbox games and Spiderman 3 were among the top terms for online searches.

Hitwise UK vice-president of research Heather Hopkins said: 'Based on our analysis, we expect that visits to retail web sites will reach tipping point this week and will begin their rapid seasonal rise. Early signs are good for a strong Christmas online, with retail web sites likely to hit the growth rate forecast by Hitwise in August, for an 8 per cent growth year on year in December.'