WE’LL shop but we won’t drop this year.

Dec 4 2007 by Sue Scott, Evening Gazette

That’s the prediction from a major Christmas retail report, which shows we'll be buying more online than ever before.

Consumers in the North-east look set to be among the biggest spenders overall, shelling out above the national average on gifts, food, drink and socialising during the holiday.

The predictions defy economists who feared a dent in consumer confidence following the Northern Rock crisis and the credit crunch.

So what does it mean for the High Street and how will we be spending our hard-earned cash? JOANNE WELFORD reports on pages 2 and 3.