London, Dec 19 : Britons are expected to spend 4billion pounds this weekend shopping for last-minute Christmas presents.

Traders reckon today will be the busiest shopping day of the year on the High Street.

“This is the most important weekend of the year. We’re expecting a total of 4bn pounds to be spent, with shoppers splashing out more than 2bn pounds of that today,” the Daily Star quoted a spokesman for the British Retail Consortium as saying.

The top gifts for children will be Transformers, Power Rangers and Peppa Pig toys, and other favourites will be the Slanket, which is a cross between a sleeping bag and a blanket, iPods, perfume, lingerie and 18-year-old Joe McElderry’s X Factor single.

But last-minute buyers will be feeling the pressure, and according to a Capital Shopping Centres survey, up to 21 percent say finding a gift for a partner is more stressful than a work appraisal.

“To help keep stress to a minimum, shoppers should make a list of what they want to buy before they go, and budget properly,” a spokesman for CSC, whose 14 complexes include the Harlequin in Watford, Herts, and Glasgow’s Braehead, said.

“Decide how much you want to spend and stick with it.

“Other tips are: Dress for comfort, stay hydrated and remember it’s the thought that counts,” he added. (ANI)