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Brits to hit the shops on Christmas Eve

The shops may have been full of Christmas-themed goods for months but Britons have still managed to ignore the impending holiday, new research suggests.

Half of Britons are set to hit the shops on Christmas Eve, with £1.14 billion set to be spent on last minute shopping.

According to Sainsbury's Bank, four and a half million people will do more than half of their shopping the day before Christmas Day, with less than half a million shoppers having everything wrapped up by the 24th.

Donald MacLeod, credit card manager, Sainsbury's Bank said: "Our research suggests that it could be a busy time for the shops on Christmas Eve and that a lot of people will be using their credit cards."

Brits are set to spend £47.5 million an hour, or £791,667 a minute, on Christmas Eve, with Sainsbury's Bank estimating that £200.6 million will be spent on credit.

In total, nearly one in five Britons will be paying for last minute shopping with a credit card.

Mr MacLeod advised: "A card with a long interest free period can be a good way to spread the cost of Christmas."

For Christmas shopping, click here to see how much you could borrow with Lombard Direct.

22/12/2006 15:16:14

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