Cyber Monday and Black Friday 'an important part of seasonal shopping' in Ireland

Black Friday and Cyber Monday could be responsible for altering Christmas shopping habits forever.

The weekend's shopping spree is set to continue today on Cyber Monday.

The early discounting trend is also changing retailers' revenue patterns, from when shopping used to peak in December.

Deputy CEO of Retail Excellence Ireland, Lorraine Higgins, says retailers are reporting the change.

"Last year, figures were up about 5% over the course of this weekend in terms of sales, and it's an important part now of seasonal shopping," she said.

"Traditionally, sales used to start on December 8, now we're seeing it start a little bit earlier.

"I think that's most welcome both for retailers and indeed, consumers because they get lots of discounts, deals and deductions."