Shoppers have increased their spend by almost 4 per cent this Christmas compared to 2014.

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

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

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