Almost 60% of UK and US parents will be spending ‘about the same or more’ this Christmas

Other key trends will see 84% doing at least some of their Christmas shopping in the Black Friday sales and a 121% increase in UK parents shopping ‘completely online’ from last year.

According to a survey of over 5,000 parents in the UK and US by performance marketing and consumer insight company FanFinders, 79% of parents have already started their Christmas shopping and are set to ramp up activities this week.

Seasonal shopping events like Black Friday are pivotal for brands and retailers in this pandemic-impacted year and over a third (35%) of UK parents believe the Black Friday sales are superior to those at Christmas and Boxing Day. Among US parents, nearly half (49%) agree with this sentiment.

E-commerce taking centre stage

When asked how they will be doing their Christmas shopping this year, over half of UK parents said ‘all or mostly online’.

While last year a third (33%) of respondents did their shopping ‘all or mostly in-person at shops’, this year just 10% are planning to shop that way.

This 68% decrease, when measured alongside the 69% increase in people who will be shopping ‘majority online’, represents a full swing in behaviour.

In the US, there has been a 55% increase in parents shopping ‘completely online’ compared to last year and a 43% increase in ‘majority online’. Only 13% will be doing their shopping ‘all or mostly in-person at shops’ this year.

A more resilient group is those parents in both countries who prefer a 50/50 split of online and at shops. 36% shopped that way for Christmas last year and despite the current situation, 37% hope they can do the same this year.

‘Tis the season

With over a quarter of parents in the UK and US admitting they feel pressure to keep up with other families at this time of year, how much are they planning to spend this year? Over 30% of UK parents plan to spend £250 or more on presents for each of their kids this Christmas and in the US, 45% of parents will spend over $250.

When it comes to food shopping, over a third of UK parents will spend over £200 and 48% of US parents will spend $200 or more. As far as efforts to keep holiday spending under control, the top method for parents in both countries is bargain shopping and using coupons, with those in the US 67% more likely to use coupons than their UK counterparts.

What about those last-minute purchases?

More than half of parents in the UK and US said they would use a credit card to pay for presents or food, with more than twice as many US respondents expecting to reach their credit limit. Commenting on these insights, Adam Gillett, Chief Commercial Officer at FanFinders said, “The reality is that businesses would have been planning their strategies for this period back in Q2 or earlier. At all levels of the market, it comes down to identifying your audiences, aligning the consumer journey, having good infrastructure, transmission of information and high-impact marketing.

“These insights suggest the appetite is there, so brands and retailers will be looking for traction in the run-up, then it’s about staged offer releases and having their e-commerce channels optimised for conversion. In the current climate, it will also be important for brands to keep working with partners for that additional push.”