UK consumers start Christmas shopping early in sales

Savvy British shoppers are looking to prepare for Christmas 2018 with the help of the January sales, according to a new report from the Halifax, with consumers expected to spend an average of 91.83 pounds taking advantage of the discounts.

The survey reveals that men will spend the most in post-Christmas sales at 106.73 pounds, while women will spend 77.63 pounds. When it comes to regional data, consumers in London are expected to spend the most at 172.76 pounds with shoppers in Northern Ireland expected to spend just 47 pounds.

More than one-third (36 percent) said that they will buy next year’s Christmas cards in this year’s sales, with a third (33 percent) looking to pick up discount wrapping paper and almost a third (32 percent) even picking up presents to put under the tree in 2018.

In addition, the report reveals that with the growth of Christmas jumper days in workplaces all over the country, one in seven (15 percent) will buy a Christmas jumper now for next year, with more than a quarter of 18-34s (28 percent) leading the way. 27 percent of those in the North East said they’d buy a Christmas jumper now for next year, but only 8 percent of Scots and 9 percent in the East Midlands said the same.

Britons are not only starting to shop for Christmas 2018 but also saving, with one in seven (15 percent) planning to start saving towards this year’s Christmas in January, rising to 20 percent in Wales. Amongst 18-34 year olds 68 percent said they will save or have already started to save for Christmas 2018, compared to 55 percent of 35- 54 year olds and only 34 percent of over 55s.

Jon Roberts, managing director of Halifax credit cards said: “Christmas can be an expensive time of year, so it’s encouraging that people are thinking longer-term and planning for 2018 already by saving and picking up cards, wrapping paper and even Christmas jumper bargains in the sales.”

The report also revealed that more than one in three Brits received at least one Christmas gift they didn’t like, but only 7 percent of Brits return or exchange them, preferring to store them (31 percent), gift them to a charity shop (28 percent) or re-gift them to someone else (23 percent).

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