Gadgets such as smartphones and fitness bands are easing out old favourites such as chocolate coins and satsumas when it comes to filling a traditional Christmas stocking, UK research suggests.

Around one in four (26 per cent) adults are considering putting this type of technology, also including tablets and action cameras, into a stocking for a loved one this Christmas, a survey has found.

The research, from Barclaycard, also asked parents of children aged under 18 how much they will spend in total on the contents of their child's Christmas stocking this year, excluding larger gifts that might be placed under a Christmas tree. The average estimated cost of a child's Christmas stocking was put at €85.

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