Christmas comes early for shoppers
Almost half of shoppers have already started buying Christmas presents, a new survey has revealed.
Researchers spoke to 8,000 people and of the 48% who said they had already bought some presents, three quarters claimed it was an attempt to spread the cost of Christmas.
More than one in ten (11%) said they wouldn't be sending any Christmas cards, with more than half saying it was an attempt to save money.
Jennifer England from Asda, who commissioned the research, said: "With only three more pay days until Christmas, many of our customers have started their festive shopping earlier than ever in a bid to spread the costs this year. People might think we're crazy for selling gifts already, but our customers are telling us it's what they want so we're doing all we can to help them.
"By spreading the cost of Christmas and buying gifts early, our customers are making sure that they can have a Christmas to remember whilst avoiding any last minute credit card splurges that will leave them paying off the bill well into 2010."
