Shoppers will spend £533 in Christmas sales

Today (December 16th) marks the start of the sales shopping for almost half of consumers, according to recent research conducted by American Express. 

Discounts are now hitting the shops before Christmas, and will continue into the new year, and 44 per cent of shoppers are already taking advantage of this. The data shows that on average each person will pick up £533 worth of offers. The average for men is however much higher, as they plan to spend an average of £677, compared to the £393 that women are planning to spend.

54 per cent of shoppers plan to shop in-store for deals, but 51 per cent will search online for the best offers.

48 per cent of shoppers are searching for clothes in the sales, and 27 per cent will look for shoes. DVDs, books and CDs are slightly less sought after, with just 21 per cent of shoppers planning to buy these, and the same amount plan to hunt out bargains on beauty products. Just 18 per cent of people plan to buy gadgets such as smartphones and tablets in the sales, although these are much more expensive items and are also a popular gift choice for Christmas.

Of the bargain hunters, 19 per cent are using the opportunity to get their hands on gifts for birthdays and weddings throughout the year, while a savvy 16 per cent are planning to start shopping for Christmas next year.

The data shows that many consumers take full advantage of sales and get stuck in, but 25 per cent find it all very stressful. Of course, by joining the online shoppers you can still snap up a few bargains from the comfort of your home.