The rapid rise of e-commerce is stretching logistics companies to the limit, a new report has shown.

While general retail sales continued to slide in 2012, Research and Markets confirmed that online sales were up by 12 per cent when compared to the previous year.

As a result, the organisation stated that firms have had to adapt quickly to the increased digitisation of society and it seems that some companies are failing to provide agile delivery services.

"Although providers have developed tailored solutions for transport, fulfilment and returns, few have developed the sophisticated services which e-retailers demand," the study noted.

Research and Markets also stated that many e-retail logistics functions in the UK are yet to be outsourced.

Head of industrial and logistics at Colliers Len Rosso recently suggested that businesses are in danger of missing out on the huge benefits that e-retailing can bring because developers are finding it hard to secure enough funding to set up new warehouses and distribution centres across the UK.