Brits’ Christmas ’spending spree’

Christmas Day saw a huge number of people go online to make purchases, according to new figures.

The Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG) revealed that 3.8 million people bought things on the internet on the 25th, spending just over £100 million - a 21 per cent increase on the year before.

On top of this, figures for the Christmas shopping period showed that online retail has grown in popularity compared with 2007.

James Roper, chief executive of the IMRG, said: “Though the number of people shopping on Christmas Day was 14 per cent lower than in 2007, the volume of transactions was 26 per cent higher and the value rose by 21 per cent, indicating that serious bargain hunting was the order of the day.”

The high street has been badly hit by the credit crunch, with many reporting reduced sales during Christmas, despite government efforts to encourage spending by a temporary lowering of VAT.