Big spend tipped for Christmas -- with gadgets high on list?

Currys and PC World rub hands in anticipation of last-minute spend in run-up to Christmas

Retailers Currys and PC World have put together a survey they say suggests that £819m will be spent on "last-minute stocking fillers" – including tech – in the run-up to Christmas.

According to a statement released by parent group Dixons, the poll suggests that about a third of consumers will buy additional presents as it gets closer to 25 December – partly because they cannot resist buying little extras.

Also, claims Dixons, nearly a quarter of respondents worry someone else might have spent more than them.

"Hundreds of must-have" tech gadgets may prove popular, it noted, suggesting an opportunity for the channel.

It did not speculate about exactly how much of the £819m might be spent on IT such as tablets specifically.

However, in an online interview, a Dixons spokesman indicated that he thinks the company will sell perhaps a million tablets this festive season, with orders coming through strongly for Boxing Day delivery as well.

The Dixons statement on the survey also quoted psychologist Karen Pine, who is based at the University of Hertfordshire, to back up its claims.

"People feel under pressure to get it absolutely right. This leads to people buying additional gifts because they worry that what they've chosen isn't enough, or isn't quite up to scratch," she said.

Examples of "gift creep", she said, include the practice of buying additional small presents to boost the overall gift size.

Getting gift selection right will be at the forefront of many shoppers' minds, the statement went on to say – adding that Currys and PC World have also launched a gift list service, like the ones that some couples use for wedding presents.