FEWER shops in Yorkshire are offering discounts in the run-up to Christmas.

According to analysis carried out this week by PricewaterhouseCoopers, 43 per cent of high street retailers are advertising discounts or offering promotions such as buy one get one free.

This compared with 62 per cent of retailers in the same week last year.

Average discounts being offered this week are also lower at 25 per cent off, compared with 40 per cent off this time last year when the grip of the international credit crunch was at its tightest, and discounting was hotting up as Christmas drew nearer.

This store-based research excludes the online marketing activity, which appears to be more pervasive than last year.

Anna Bielby, Yorkshire retail specialist for PricewaterhouseCoopers, said retailers appeared to have more tightly managed stock levels this year, reducing the need to chase footfall and sales as aggressively as last year.

She said: “This is also an indication of improving consumer confidence.

“The jury is still out on whether discounting will remain below 2008 levels as we get nearer to Christmas.”