Pre-Christmas discounting levels have grown for the sixth year in a row, with the average discount on the high street at 43%.
The discounting levels are expected to rise to 54% by Christmas Eve, according to research by Deloitte.
The accounting firm said that its analysis of over 300,000 products had found discounts ranging from 5.4% to 85.4%.
It predicted that discounts would grow in size and number in the run up to Christmas.
Deloitte attributed the heavy discounting to a number of factors included changeable weather and a successful Black Friday for sales numbers.
Deloitte consumer business partner Jason Gordon said: “This is the sixth year in a row that we have seen ever-increasing discounts. Such a long precedent has led to consumers becoming conditioned to expect substantial discounts in the run up to Christmas.”
He added: “The fact that we have seen such deep discounts so early is an indication of the level of nervousness from the high street.
“Economic uncertainty in 2017, particularly around how increasing inflation will affect consumer confidence and spending, has encouraged retailers to err on the side of caution.”
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