Spending up by 3.6% on last Christmas

Shoppers have increased their spend by almost 4% this Christmas compared to 2014.

Figures from Retail Excellence show the seasonal spend is up by 3.6% on last year.

The increase has been most marked in Dublin and larger urban centres where the rise could be as high as 5%.

However Lynn Drumgoole from Retail Excellence said not all parts of the country experienced an upturn in trade.

She said: “It’s a season of mixed fortunes, where Dublin and larger urban centres will have growth in excess of 5%, but the same good fortune isn’t being felt in many provincial tows around the country.”