Retail Occasions Series: UK Christmas 2024

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

KEY FINDINGS

• The key findings
• Christmas shopper more confident to splurge this Christmas
• Consumers started their Christmas shopping earlier this year
• Marks & Spencer's innovation in food & drink will force competitors to follow suit
• Trend insight - stores
• Trend insight - online

CONSUMER ATTITUDES

• Buying dynamics
• Financial wellbeing
• Christmas spending
• Financial spending
• Christmas statements
• Retailer selection
• Retailer ratings - grocers
• Retailer ratings - non-food retailers
• Christmas stockings
• Secret Santa
• Secret Santa family participation
• Christmas returns
• Secondhand Christmas items
• Retailer drivers by category

SEASONAL FOOD & DRINK

• Buying dynamics
• Retailer selection
• Channel usage
• Store type
• Device usage
• Fulfilment
• Spending
• Buying dynamics
• Planned/impulse

GIFTING

• Buying dynamics
• Retailer selection
• Channel usage
• Store type
• Device usage
• Fulfilment
• Spending
• Buying dynamics
• Planned/impulse
• Personalisation
• Secondhand gifts
• Gifts purchased seen/promoted on social media
• Regifting

FESTIVE ITEMS

• Buying dynamics
• Retailer selection
• Channel usage
• Store type
• Device usage
• Fulfilment
• Spending
• Buying dynamics
• Advent calendar recipients
• Advent calendar types
• Buying dynamics
• Planned/impulse
• Personalisation

ITEMS FOR THE HOME

• Buying dynamics
• Retailer selection
• Channel usage
• Store type
• Device usage
• Fulfilment
• Spending
• Buying dynamics
• Planned/impulse

METHODOLOGY

• Technical details: consumer survey work

List of Tables

• Retailer ratings across key measures - grocers, 2024
• Retailer ratings across key measures - non-food retailers, 2024
• Christmas gift categories consumers plan to return, 2023 & 2024
• Products purchased secondhand by Christmas shoppers (%), 2024
• Percentage point change retailer shopped at for seasonal food & drink (2023-2024)
• Percentage point change retailer most shopped at for seasonal food & drink (2023-2024)
• Percentage point change retailer consumers switched to for seasonal food & drink (2023-2024)
• Products purchased - Christmas sweet products, 2023 & 2024
• Products purchased - Christmas savoury products, 2023 & 2024
• Products purchased - meat, fish and free from alternatives, 2023 & 2024
• Products purchased - fruit & vegetables, 2023 & 2024
• Products purchased - alcoholic beverages, 2023 & 2024
• Products purchased - frozen foods, 2023 & 2024
• Products purchased - non-alcoholic beverages, 2024
• Products bought on impulse - seasonal food & drink, 2023 & 2024
• Percentage point change retailer shopped at for gifts (2023-2024)
• Products purchased - clothing & accessories, 2023 & 2024
• Retailers used - clothing & accessories, 2023 & 2024
• Products purchased - food gifts, 2023 & 2024
• Retailers used - food gifts, 2023 & 2024
• Products purchased - health & beauty, 2023 & 2024
• Retailers used - health & beauty, 2023 & 2024
• Products purchased - alcohol gifts, 2023 & 2024
• Retailers used - alcohol gifts, 2023 & 2024
• Products purchased - books, 2023 & 2024
• Retailers used - books, 2023 & 2024
• Products purchased - toys & games, 2023 & 2024
• Retailers used - toys & games, 2023 & 2024
• Products purchased - footwear, 2023 & 2024
• Retailers used - footwear, 2023 & 2024
• Products purchased - homewares, 2023 & 2024
• Retailers used - homewares, 2023 & 2024
• Products purchased - money, 2023 & 2024
• Products purchased - stationery, 2023 & 2024
• Retailers used - stationery, 2023 & 2024
• Products purchased - vouchers & gift cards, 2023 & 2024
• Products purchased - electricals, 2023 & 2024
• Retailers used - electricals, 2023 & 2024
• Products purchased - leather goods, 2023 & 2024
• Retailers used - leather goods, 2023 & 2024
• Products purchased - music & video, 2023 & 2024
• Retailers used - music & video, 2023 & 2024
• Products purchased - experiences, 2023 & 2024
• Products purchased - sports, 2023 & 2024
• Retailers used - sports, 2023 & 2024
• Products purchased - fine jewellery and watches, 2023 & 2024
• Retailers used - fine jewellery and watches, 2023 & 2024
• Products purchased - computers, 2023 & 2024
• Retailers used - computers, 2023 & 2024
• Products purchased - garden items, 2023 & 2024
• Retailers used - garden items, 2023 & 2024
• Products purchased - DIY, 2023 & 2024
• Retailers used - DIY, 2023 & 2024
• Products bought on impulse - gifts, 2023 & 2024
• Products personalisation - gifts, 2023 & 2024
• Products purchased - secondhand gifts, 2023 & 2024
• Social media platforms used, 2023 & 2024
• Product categories regifted, 2024
• Percentage point change retailer shopped at for festive items (2023-2024)
• Products purchased - Christmas wrapping & cards, 2023 & 2024
• Retailers used - Christmas wrapping & cards, 2023 & 2024
• Products purchased - Christmas trees & decorations, 2023 & 2024
• Retailers used - Christmas trees & decorations, 2023 & 2024
• Products purchased - festive home products, 2023 & 2024
• Retailers used - festive home products, 2023 & 2024
• Retailers used - Christmas advent calendar, 2023 & 2024
• Retailers used - Christmas crackers, 2023 & 2024
• Products purchased - Christmas partywear, 2023 & 2024
• Retailers used - Christmas partywear, 2023 & 2024
• Products bought on impulse - festive items, 2023 & 2024
• Products personalisation - festive items, 2023 & 2024
• Percentage point change retailer shopped at for items for the home (2023-2024)
• Products purchased - homewares, 2023 & 2024
• Retailers used - homewares, 2023 & 2024
• Products purchased - electricals, 2023 & 2024
• Retailers used - electricals, 2023 & 2024
• Products purchased - furniture, 2023 & 2024
• Retailers used - furniture, 2023 & 2024
• Products bought on impulse - items for the home, 2023 & 2024

List of Figures

• Christmas 2024 shopper penetration (by demographic and by region) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Christmas shopper profile (by demographic & by region), 2024
• Christmas 2024 retail shopper penetration (by demographic and by region)
• Christmas 2024 leisure shopper penetration (by demographic and by region)
• When consumers started their Christmas shopping, 2023 & 2024
• Did consumers start their Christmas shopping earlier this year (by demographic), 2024
• Reasons why consumers started Christmas shopping earlier, 2024
• Financial wellbeing compared to last year, 2023 & 2024
• Consumers' Christmas spending compared to last year, 2023 & 2024
• Priorities in different categories for Christmas spend, 2024
• How consumers financed Christmas spending, 2023 & 2024
• Agreement statements about Christmas, 2024 and ppt change on 2023
• Success of retailers at promoting or communicating Christmas deals, 2024
• Christmas stockings received penetration 2024 (by demographic and by region) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Christmas stockings given penetration 2024 (by demographic and by region) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Christmas stockings average spend, 2023 & 2024
• Christmas stockings bought, 2023 & 2024
• Secret Santa penetration 2024 (by demographic and by region) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Secret Santa budget, 2023 & 2024
• Secret Santa bought for, 2023 & 2024
• Secret Santa budget spending patterns, 2023 & 2024
• Why consumers are taking part in a family Secret Santa this year, 2024
• Do consumers often take part in a family Secret Santa, 2024
• Christmas returns penetration 2024 (by demographic and by region) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Number of Christmas returns 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 overall
• Reasons for returning Christmas presents, 2024 and ppt change on 2023
• Christmas secondhand purchase penetration 2024 (by demographic)
• Reasons for shopping secondhand, 2024
• Reasons for not shopping secondhand, 2024
• What's driving retailer selection - summary, 2024
• Overall food and drink penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Retailers shopped at for seasonal food and drink, 2023 & 2024
• Retailers most shopped at for seasonal food and drink, 2023 & 2024
• Drivers of food & drink retailer selection, 2024 and ppt change on 2023
• Consumers switching from their usual main retailer, 2024 by demographic & 2022, 2023 overall
• Top 10 retailers consumers switched to, 2023 & 2024
• Reasons for switching main retailer, 2024 and ppt change on 2023
• Consumers using each channel for purchasing seasonal food and drink, 2023 & 2024
• Consumers using each store type for purchasing seasonal food and drink, 2023 & 2024
• Consumers using each device for seasonal food and drink purchases, 2023 & 2024
• Fulfilment options for seasonal food and drink purchases made online, 2023 & 2024
• Average spend on seasonal food and non-alcoholic beverages by retailer, 2024 and £ change on 2023
• Average spend on seasonal alcoholic beverages by retailer, 2024 and £ change on 2023
• Christmas sweet products 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Christmas savoury products 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Meat, fish and free from alternatives 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Fruit & vegetables 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Alcoholic beverages 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Frozen foods 2024 (by demographic)
• Non-alcoholic beverages 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Overall seasonal food & drink planned/impulse purchases, 2024
• Overall gift penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Retailers shopped at for gifts, 2023 & 2024
• Drivers of gifts retailer selection, 2024 & ppt change on 2023
• Consumers using each channel for purchasing Christmas gifts, 2023 & 2024
• Consumers using store type for purchasing Christmas gifts, 2023 & 2024
• Consumers using each device for Christmas gift shopping purchases, 2023 & 2024
• Fulfilment options for Christmas gift purchases made online, 2023 & 2024
• How consumers gave presents, 2023 & 2024
• Average spend on Christmas gifts by product category, 2024 and £ change on 2023
• Who consumers bought Christmas gifts for, 2024 and ppt change on 2023
• Clothing & accessories penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Food gifts penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Health & beauty penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Alcohol gifts penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Books penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Toys & games penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Views regarding gifting plastic toys, 2023 & 2024
• Footwear penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Homewares penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Money penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Stationery penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Voucher & gift cards penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Electricals penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Leather goods penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Music & video penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Experiences penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Sports penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Fine jewellery & watches penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Computers penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Garden items penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• DIY penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Overall gift planned/impulse purchases, 2024
• Overall gift personalisation, 2024
• Secondhand gifts penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Channel usage for secondhand gift purchasing, 2023 & 2024
• Reasons for purchasing/not purchasing secondhand gifts, 2024 and ppt change on 2023
• Gifts purchased seen/promoted on social media penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Regifting penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Reasons for regifting, 2024 and ppt change on 2023
• Who consumers regifted to, 2024 and ppt change on 2023
• Overall festive items penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Retailers shopped at for festive items, 2023 & 2024
• Drivers of retailer selection for festive items, 2024 and ppt change on 2023
• Consumers using each channel for festive item purchases, 2023 & 2024
• Consumers using each store type for festive item purchases, 2023 & 2024
• Consumers using each device for festive item purchases, 2023 & 2024
• Fulfilment options for festive item purchases made online, 2023 & 2024
• Average spend on festive items, 2024 and £ change on 2023
• Christmas wrapping & cards penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Types of gift bags purchased, 2023 & 2024
• Christmas trees and decorations penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Christmas tree purchasing dynamics, by real & artificial trees, 2024
• Artificial Christmas tree replacement by number of years, 2024
• Bulb count on Christmas lights purchased by internal & external, 2024
• Bulb colour of Christmas lights purchased by internal & external, 2024
• Festive home products penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Colour scheme chosen for festive home products, 2023 & 2024
• Christmas advent calendar penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Christmas advent calendar bought for, 2023 & 2024
• Types of products included in Christmas advent calendars, 2023 & 2024
• Christmas crackers penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Consumers filling in Christmas crackers themselves, 2023 & 2024
• Consumers' opinion on whether retailers should stop including plastic toys in crackers, 2023 & 2024
• Christmas partywear penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Overall festive items planned/impulse purchases, 2024
• Overall festive items personalisation, 2024
• Overall items for the home penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Retailers shopped at for items for the home, 2023 & 2024
• Drivers of items for the home retailer selection, 2024 and ppt change from 2023
• Consumers using each channel for items for the home, 2023 & 2024
• Consumers using each store type for items for the home, 2023 & 2024
• Consumers using each device for items for the home, 2023 & 2024
• Consumers using each fulfilment option for items for the home, 2023 & 2024
• Average spend on items for the home by category, 2024 and £ change from 2023
• Homewares penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Electricals penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Furniture penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
• Overall items for the home planned/impulse purchases, 2024