Yorkshire people are so thrifty - even when it comes to Christmas

Christmas lights on Oxford Street, London, before they were switched off for a five minute black out to mark the start of 'Black Friday'.

A report released today by retailer Argos claims people from the White Rose county are set to spend less on festive presents than their counterparts in some other areas of the UK.

According to the Way We Shop report, cash-conscious Tykes expect to fork out an average of £329 on Christmas gifts for their loved ones.

That figure is the third lowest for any part of the country, above only the East (£307) and South West (£312).

Big-spending regions include the North East (£469) and the North West (£413) while the national average is £365.

The report also says only nine per cent of shoppers are planning to make all their Christmas purchases over the internet.

And it estimates that six per cent of people are aiming to bag some last-minute bargains by reserving items online then heading out to collect them in person.

Argos’s Vikki Kirby said: “The Argos Way We Shop report reveals our shopping habits outside of Christmas and has identified a series of shopping tribes. This includes ‘Shopping Einsteins’ who apply a military precision when it comes to shopping and ‘Digital Magpies’ who pride themselves on securing the best deals.

“Online shopping is now as much a part of our weekly routine as shopping in stores – four in 10 of us browse and shop online using a computer or laptop at least weekly, while 15 per cent shop via tablet and one in ten use their mobile for shopping at least once a week.”