Shoppers have increase their spend by almost 4% this Christmas compared to 2014.

Figures from Retail Excellence show the seasonal spend is up by 3.6% on last year.

The increase has been most marked in Dublin and larger urban centres where the rise could be as high as 5%.

However Lynn Drumgoole from Retail Excellence says not all parts of the country experienced an upturn in trade:

"Overall we are predicting Christmas to be up 3.6%, but it is a season of mixed fortunes, where Dublin and larger urban centres will have experienced growth of over 5%, the same good fortune isn't being felt in many provincial towns around the country."