Retailers are in the middle of what analysts predict will be the busiest shopping day of the year, with consumers rushing to finish their Christmas shopping.
Bad weather has meant that many online orders have not been able to be fulfilled, while some shoppers have been put off hitting the High Street by the snow.
Visa Europe has said it expects Visa users to make transactions worth a total of some £1.2 billion during the day.
But despite the last-minute rush, many retailers are concerned that the bad weather will dent their Christmas trading totals.
Many stores have been forced to close, while others have seen significantly reduced footfall. In addition, potential delivery problems have put many customers off shopping online.
But internet retail group IMRG said it expects to see some 4.8 million shoppers make purchases online during Christmas Day. It is expecting to see total internet sales of £153 million. The impending VAT hike is likely to encourage many shoppers to take advantage of bargains.
IMRG managing director David Smith said: “Christmas Day has become a busy online shopping day in recent years as people with an eye for value look to take advantage of the 24/7 nature of online retail.”
