Total spending on presents for the Sinterklaas celebrations on December 5 are set to fall 8% this year, according to research for an online shopping website.

Some 40% of 1,000 people polled by Q&A Research said they planned to spend less on gifts this year, while 29% said they would buy fewer presents.
But only 6% said worries about the economy was the reason for the cutbacks.
The research also showed that of the men who say they will spend less, 60% will buy cheaper gifts for their partners this year. But only 32% of women are planning to spend less on their partners.
The three week run-up to Sinterklaas starts on Saturday, when he ‘arrives’ in the Netherlands by steamship – an event which is always broadcast live on television.