Link, the operator of the UK's cash machine network, has reported that from the Tuesday 25 November to Christmas Eve, the value of Link cash withdrawals was up by £367 million compared with 2007.
Total LINK cash withdrawals during the final month of Christmas shopping were around £11 billion. The busiest day this year was Friday 19 December when £537 million was withdrawn through the LINK network in just 24 hours. Over £1.4 billion was withdrawn from 22 December to 24 December, presumably reflecting large numbers of shoppers taking advantage of this year's pre-Christmas sales.
Senior LINK spokesman, Graham Mott, said: "We saw an early boost in withdrawals at the beginning of December which fell away mid-month. But there was a late rush in the last few days before Christmas. It looks like some people were holding on to pick up some real bargains at the last minute. As far as cash is concerned, consumers withdrew more rather than less than in 2007."