And in the US.... shoppers who’ve waited until Christmas eve are being rewarded with big bargains, and thinner crowds.
Most people say they’re spending less on Christmas this year... and many are taking advantage of last minute discounts ranging from 30 to 70 percent.
Christmas spending in the US is estimated to be modest, with shoppers’ spirits dampened by the apparent political stalemate over the looming "fiscal cliff", and proposed tax increases.