46 per cent of parents are avoiding the Christmas rush by opting to buy toys on their mobiles this Christmas, according to research from PayPal and YouGov.

The study also forecasts a drop in the number of gifts bought at the last minute, which they believe will halve from 14 per cent on Christmas Eve in 2011 to 7 per cent in 2012. This is being attributed to increased access to mobile shopping.

One in 10 British men – those seen as the culprits for such slapdash behaviour – will buy a Christmas gift on their smartphone, with 46 per cent browsing on mobile.

31 per cent of shoppers will take photos of items in shops, 12 per cent are using phones to scan barcodes for more information, and 11 per cent use them to note down sizes of clothes and shoes for presents.

“The mobile shopping revolution is having an unexpected impact on those Christmas shoppers who tend to leave it to the last minute, typically men,” said PayPal spokesperson, Rob Skinner. “Were finding it easy to buy presents in our spare time, whether its on the morning commute or in front of the TV. It means we can avoid the weekend rush on the high street.”

The study also found that entertainment goods are most likely to be purchased on mobile this year.