Brits control the urge to splurge by shopping online

Four in five (80 per cent) people plan to avoid the high street over the next few weeks, instead choosing to shop online for Christmas presents this festive season. With belts tightening, three in five (58 per cent) Brits admit one of the main reasons is to control the ‘urge to splurge' on impulse buys, according to new research from Egg.

More than two fifths (43 per cent) of people say they will do at least half of their Christmas shopping online this year - rising to 52 per cent for 18-34 year olds. Over a fifth (21 per cent) of people plan to buy more festive gifts over the web compared to last year, with online spending set to reach £12bn this Christmas.

The most popular reason to shop online at Christmas is that it's easier than shopping on the High Street (80 per cent) while 74 per cent say they prefer to shop online to avoid the crowds. Two fifths (41 per cent) say shopping on the web gives them control of their budget.

Vanessa Wood, Spokesperson for egg, said, "Online shopping is increasingly popular. People see it as the best way to reign in their spending and resist the temptation to impulse buy. It is the ideal solution for those who find the Christmas crowds stressful."

When considering the benefits of shopping online, nearly two thirds (57 per cent) of people believe that online retailers will be cheaper than the High Street and a further two fifths (39 per cent) shop online to make the most of money offers such as cashback and reward schemes.

Over half (54 per cent) prefer to use their credit card as they know most purchases will be insured. Similarly, two fifths (38 per cent) prefer to use a credit card online to make the most of fraud protection.

Wood continues: "It's good to see that people realise the benefits of using a credit card online in terms of insurance on purchases and fraud protection. Customers should also remember other benefits, such as cashback, are also available.

Existing Egg customers have access to several cashback sites from top retailers and benefit from reward schemes such as the 5% instant cashback at Dixons, Currys, PC World sites as well as lastminute.com and 10% instant cashback at Waterstones online.