Shoppers set to cut spending at Boxing Day sales

Shoppers are expected to walk little astatine the Boxing Day income arsenic households are squeezed by the precocious outgo of living.

Credit paper steadfast Barclaycard predicts that the mean idiosyncratic is acceptable to walk £229 successful the post-Christmas sales, £18 little than past year.

Bargain-hunters could besides look disruption from further obstruction strikes which is apt to origin a build-up of postulation astir buying centres.

The AA forecasts that 15.2 cardinal cars volition beryllium connected the roads during the day.

The motoring organisation said: "Traffic is apt to physique astir buying centres arsenic tons of radical question a bargain successful the sales. Meanwhile, shot fans volition question to spot their teams."

It said determination could beryllium "localised" congestion, but added: "Traffic should beryllium dispersed passim the time arsenic radical instrumentality their clip aft Christmas Day."

A survey of 2,000 would-be shoppers by Barclaycard recovered that 42% said the higher outgo of surviving would temper spending successful the post-Christmas sales, with galore of those saying they would walk little compared to erstwhile years.

The complaint of terms rises - besides known arsenic ostentation - deed 10.7% successful November which was little than October but is inactive astatine its highest for 40 years.

Harshna Cayley, caput of online payments astatine Barclaycard Payments, said: "The rising outgo of surviving and inflationary pressures person people had an interaction connected the magnitude being spent successful the post-Christmas income this year."

The institution besides recovered that radical mean to marque usage of re-selling websites, specified arsenic eBay, to get escaped of unwanted Christmas presents and look for bargains.

It said that 28 per cent of the radical it surveyed expect to merchantability gifts with luxury nutrient and portion arsenic good arsenic idiosyncratic exertion goods the astir apt to beryllium flogged-off first.