Hopes of an imminent boom in e-commerce were discouraged yesterday by a big survey which found that seasoned surfers have no plans to buy more electronically.

The survey - of more than 38,000 British internet users - says most expect to increase their spending "slightly or not at all" in the next six months.

The Bookseller magazine, which commissioned it, concludes that "internet shopping is not about to enter a period of rapid growth among those already familiar with the web".

The study is based on questionnaires advertised on search engines and popular websites. Some 30% had bought goods on the net. Books were their most popular buys, followed by CDs and computer software. They made 15% of their book purchases on the net in the past year.

Amazon.co.uk had a big lead over its bookselling rivals, with 56% of sales. Its US parent company Amazon.com held second place. Its nearest UK rival, launched last year by the German group Bertelsmann, had only 9%, with WH Smith at 5%, Waterstone at 2% and Blackwell at 1%.

An earlier report, by Verdict Research, forecast that internet book sales could rise to 15% of the market. They now stand at 3%.