The average Irish person will spend €541 on Christmas shopping - and a third of us have started early this year.
A survey by Paypal's found Louth people are preparing for the biggest sprees at €1,079 expected as the outgoings - with Westmeath in second place on €870 and Leitrim in third on €853.
Nearly half this year's Christmas shopping will be done online.
“Lockdown has completely transformed how people are spending their money and it is interesting to see how many people are shopping earlier," said Maeve Dorman, who is Vice-President of Merchant Operations at PayPal.
"As we approach Christmas - the busiest shopping period of the year which is well underway following Black Friday and Cyber Monday - the shift towards digital and contactless payments is even more prevalent than normal.
“As well as more of a reliance on online shopping, which will only continue to grow, our research shows that Irish consumers are planning to spend more with local and smaller retailers this year. It’s fantastic to see that community spirit is alive and well in Ireland, particularly during these more difficult times. We hope that these businesses can take full advantage of the Christmas spending boom by offering a safe, convenient and customer-friendly experience both in-store and online.
“Christmas 2020 will no doubt be different to previous years, however it will still see people seeking to take advantage of any online offerings, supporting their favourite stores and shopping carefully for special gifts – probably even more so than before.”
