Despite growing uncertainty about the health of the economy, many British consumers have expressed their intentions to splashing the cash over the summer period as extensive sales get underway.
In a recent report by Sainsbury's Bank, it was suggested that total spending could be as high as 7.89 billion pounds on discounted items during the warmer months. While this figure is less than was spent over the same period last year, average spending still totalled 305 pounds and 90 pence per person, with the bank commenting that such a figure shows that Britons still have a taste for bagging a bargain. Common items which participants would spend their money on were clothes, which are expected to account for 33.5 per cent of all summer sales transactions. Home furnishings are anticipated to constitute 18.5 per cent of spending, while electrical goods are predicted to amount to 15.5 per cent of summer purchases.
For those looking for an effective way to fund such purchases, taking out a low rate loan may be of interest. By choosing this type of loan, people may be able to grab the best bargains before they disappear, leaving them with affordable levels of repayment.
Indeed, Sainsbury's Bank identifies that for many people, the cost of bagging a summer deal will have to be met with credit as the rising cost of fuel, food and energy make their presence felt. The group predicted that 42 per cent of all spending carried out in the coming months will be placed on credit cards. Such a percentage would amount to some 3.29 billion pounds worth of purchases made using plastic.
Commenting on the statistics, Donald MacLeod, head of cards at Sainsbury's Finance, said: "A growing number of credit cards now offer some sort of reward every time you use them but some of these have catches. For example, some put a limit on the financial value of their reward schemes and others can make it difficult to redeem your rewards or points. This helps explain why only around 36 per cent of people who have collected rewards linked to their cards over the past 12 months have so far. If you are going to use a credit card in the summer sales, it pays to use one that gives you attractive rewards."
Despite a large amount of spending, the report found that many Britons are still expecting to cut back on purchases made during the sales. Around 20 per cent of people anticipate that they will spend less during the summer period when compared with their level of expenditure during the same period in 2007. Meanwhile, 63 per cent of people said they will spend the same amount. Only eight per cent of people anticipated a higher level of spending.
Late last year, a study carried out by Unbiased suggested that many Britons had felt the pinch of higher interest rates and had resorted to loans and other forms of credit to cover summer spending. During the third quarter of 2007, 35 pence was borrowed for every pound saved.
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