Public ‘racks up credit card debt’ in DIY shops

The British public racked up £5.3 billion in credit card debt paying for goods in DIY stores over the last year, according to a new report.

Payments association Apacs has revealed figures that show over four million transactions involving credit or debt cards take place in home improvement shops each week.

In the past 12 months, plastic cards accounted for over £11 billion worth of sales in the DIY retail market.

Debit cards were responsible for £6.7 billion of this figure, with credit cards making up the remainder of over £5 billion.

Customers also tended to spend more if they were paying by credit card.

“Plastic cards are one of the most popular forms of payment in the UK … It appears that DIY enthusiasts are no exception,” remarked spokesperson Sarah Quinn.

The amount of time that the public spends carrying out domestic chores at home amounts to £462 billion in wages, a recent study by Yorkshire Building Society claimed.

By Jamie Price