Last minute purchases today (Friday, December 23) are expected to account for £900m spent in stores across the UK, according to the Centre for Retail Research.

Up to 10 million people are predicted to either take to the shops or retail websites to spend an estimated £894m. Around 8.7m people are expected to hit the shops, while 4.57m are predicted to shop online. Click-and-collect options are likely to prove popular.

The CRR has also predicted that Boxing Day sales will eclipse Black Friday gains for retailers, predicting 19m consumers in the UK estimated to spend £3.25bn. Online sales are expected to hit £477m, with in-store purchases forecasted at £2.95bn.

Consumers are expected to spend £7.6bn between December 26-29, with electronic goods predicted to be particularly popular.