A recent poll has found that 61 per cent of consumers will be buying things people need, not what they want, for Christmas 2020. And, those surveyed plan to spend on average £188.94 less than last year.
The findings are from a forecast from prepaid and gift card provider, Blackhawk Network, which identifies the 12 biggest gifting trends for the 2020 Christmas period.
As of the start of September, 20 per cent of consumers had already started their Christmas shopping and a further 43 per cent plan to start by early November. The biggest driver for forward planning has been people trying to budget their spending (42 per cent).
According to Blackhawk Network, almost half of those planning to start shopping earlier this year (41 per cent) cite the pandemic as a key issue that’s influenced their decision. The poll also found that nearly half of consumers (44 per cent) plan to do more festive shopping online in 2020 than they did last year.
And, over three quarters (76 per cent) of consumers claimed that they feel safe receiving online shopping deliveries, compared to just half (52 per cent) who said they feel safe at physical retail locations.
Other key stats from the report include:
- 68 per cent of people are planning on buying a physical gift online, suggesting that while buying online is more popular, people still prefer to give physical gifts
- Gift cards look to be in favour in 2020 with 21 per cent of respondents planning on purchasing a digital gift card this Christmas, and 30 per cent opting for physical
- Consumers will spend 47 per cent more on Christmas gift cards this year, with 65 per cent of shoppers thinking that gift cards make good presents as they can be bought digitally
- 43 per cent of people are more likely to buy a gift card this year because of Covid-19
- 46 per cent of those planning to buy gift cards want to do so to give their recipient choice over what they buy
Chris Ronald, VP EMEA incentives & operations, Blackhawk Network Europe, said: “This year will be a Christmas like no other and gifting habits will no doubt change considerably. Festive shopping, be that in-store or online, is going to be less about the glitter and the magic of previous years and more about giving gifts that offer real value. Whether that is a fluffy pair of socks to put a much needed smile on someone’s face or a gift card for something that is essential in the home, consumers are not just tightening the belt this Christmas, but also making sure that their gifts count.”
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