AIB data confirms busiest times in stores this Christmas - and men really do their shopping last-minute

The study showed a 130pc increase in spend on Friday, December 22 compared to the year prior, making it the busiest day of the year for in-store shopping, with 2.9 million transactions and a total of €121m spent in shops.

AIB also identified differences in consumer behaviour between men and women as women were reported to be spending more than men on shopping in the run-up to Christmas.

The busiest time of the year for spending in stores was between 3pm and 4pm on December 22, with almost €12m spent in that hour alone.

While online shopping is used considerably, consumers are still reliant on stores for their Christmas shop, with 93 percent of grocery spending occurring in-store compared to just 7 percent online.

Read at Irish Independent