New research from curated online marketplace, notonthehighstreet, has shown that a difficult year has transformed who thoughtful Brits are choosing to gift this Christmas.
According to notonthehighstreet, searches for ‘thank you’ gifts have risen 211 per cent since the start of November.
The emotion of 2020 is set to impact the way Brits show their love with Christmas gifts, with one in five (19 per) more likely to gift thoughtful and considerate presents this year, notonthehighstreet says.
Consumers are thinking about where their gift is from, the research found, with 16 per cent more likely to be buying sustainable presents compared to last year.
With a more thoughtful approach to what and who is being gifted, the nation is also set to spend on those outside of friends and family more than ever – with £487m set to be spent on Christmas gifts for key workers as a ‘thank-you’ for their work this year.
It appears people are being kinder to themselves too, with a third of Brits (33 per cent) ordering more gifts for themselves in the post during lockdown than before the pandemic. The focus on treating ourselves is continuing into Christmas as 4.1 million adults (8 per cent of the British population) are more likely to spend on a gift for themselves in 2020, compared to last year.
After an unpredictable year, it is Britain’s students that believe they are the most in need of a self-gifting pick-me-up- as a quarter (24 per cent) are planning to gift themselves this Christmas.
With a festive boom in spending anticipated for gifts this Christmas, 1 in 5 (22 per cent) say that they’re more likely to buy from a small business this season compared to last, as the nation continues to rally them throughout the pandemic. And it’s millennials and younger customers that are championing shopping small the most, with almost a third (31 per cent) of both 18-24 and 25-34 year olds agreeing they are more likely to buy small this year compared to last – more than any other age group.
Ella d’Amato, chief commercial and marketing officer at notonthehighstreet, said: “The difficulties the UK has seen this year have massively impacted what we’re gifting, who we’re gifting and how often we’re doing it. People are recognising the impact of receiving a gift to appreciate those who support us through tough times – not just our loved ones and community heroes, but ourselves, too.
“It’s no surprise that this Christmas is set to be all about the little touches and gestures that make gifts more meaningful, which we’re celebrating with our #TheMagicOfSmallThings campaign. We’re proud that our small creative business partners make or source such original finds, but we’re even prouder that so many of them also offer sustainable items or gifts that give back somehow too, as this makes all the difference – not just to the people receiving them but also to those sharing them.”
Share