Christmas fear

Nearly half of Brits plan to spend less on Christmas this year. Around the same number also said they weren’t sure they would be able to afford “nice to have” purchases over the festive period, a survey by credit card giant Barclaycard found.

Meanwhile, more than six in 10 people are worried about the economy.

Esme Harwood, director at Barclaycard, said: “A more cautious approach looks set to continue into the Christmas period as consumers remain conscious of the wider economic trends.”

Spending on plastic rose 3.9% year on year in September, according to Barclaycard.

Profits at Shaun the Sheep maker Aardman suffered another fall last year. Accounts for Aardman Holdings, which also made this year’s Early Man animated movie, saw profits drop from £2.7million to £2.3m. The fall came despite PROFITS DOWN at Early Man firm turnover jumping nearly 17% to £30.7m. Business in Bristol-based Aardman’s advert-making arm recovered after taking a hit in 2016, following the Brexit vote and US President Donald Trump’s election victory.