United Kingdom (UK) Christmas - Analyzing Market, Trends, Consumer Attitudes and Major Players, 2022 Update report forms part of the publisher's Retail Occasions series, and offers a comprehensive insight into the consumer dynamics and spending habits of consumers for Christmas. The report analyses the market, the major players, the main trends, and consumer attitudes.
The cost-of-living crisis cast a shadow over Christmas 2022, with many shoppers altering their shopping habits over the festive period as a result. Since many shoppers in the UK planned to cut back this Christmas, price and value for money were increasingly important factors when selecting retailers, so many chose to shop at discounters such as Aldi, Lidl and B&M.
The cost-of-living crisis cast a shadow over Christmas 2022, with many shoppers altering their shopping habits over the festive period as a result. Since many shoppers in the UK planned to cut back this Christmas, price and value for money were increasingly important factors when selecting retailers, so many chose to shop at discounters such as Aldi, Lidl and B&M.
Scope
- Overall Christmas shopper penetration stepped back 1.6ppts in 2022 due to the cost-of-living crisis, with the amount of UK shoppers feeling worse off in 2022 compared to 2021 growing 25.9ppts to 54.6%.
- While Tesco remained the most popular grocer for seasonal food & drink purchases, retailer usage for Aldi and Lidl grew 5.5ppts and 5.1ppts respectively as price and value topped the list of reasons driving retailer selection.
- 69.0% of consumers prioritised gifting over other sectors this year proving that many deem it the most important part of Christmas, and experiences gifting penetration increased 4.2ppts to 12.9% as COVID-19 fears subside.
Reasons to Buy
- Understand how consumers attitudes and shopping behaviours have changed as a result of the cost-of-living crisis.
- Understand what drives consumers to use a retailer for their purchases, such as convenience, value for money and delivery options in order to maximise sales potential.
- Use our in-depth analysis of the leading retailers for Christmas to understand how to appeal shoppers and increase market share.
Table of Contents
- THE KEY FINDINGS
- Chart of the month
- Finance options popular for funding spend this Christmas
- The key findings
- Cost-of-living crisis forced many UK consumers to change the way they shop for Christmas
- Inflation in the food & grocery sector ensured many switched to discounters over the festive period
- Gifting penetration rose as consumers prioritised presents this festive period
- 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
- Christmas returns
- Seasonal food and drink
- Buying dynamics (Food & drink overall)
- Retailer selection
- Channel usage
- Store type
- Device usage
- Fulfilment
- Spending
- Buying dynamics (Categories)
- Planned/impulse
- Gifts
- Buying dynamics (Gifts overall)
- Retailer selection
- Channel usage
- Store type
- Device usage
- Fulfilment
- Average spend
- Recipient
- Buying dynamics (Categories)
- Planned/impulse
- Personalisation
- Secondhand gifts
- Gifts purchased seen/promoted on social media
- Regifting
- Festive items
- Buying dynamics (Festive items overall)
- Retailer selection
- Channel usage
- Store type
- Device usage
- Fulfilment
- Average spend
- Buying dynamics (Categories)
- Planned/impulse
- Personalisation
- Items for the home
- Buying dynamics (Items for the home overall)
- Retailer selection
- Channel usage
- Store type
- Device usage
- Fulfilment
- Buying dynamics (Categories)
- Planned/impulse
- Methodology
- Technical details: consumer survey work
- Retailer ratings across key measures - grocers, 2022
- Retailer ratings across key measures - non-food retailers, 2022
- Christmas gift categories consumers plan to return, 2021 & 2022
- Percentage point change retailer shopped at for seasonal food & drink (2021-2022)
- Percentage point change retailer most shopped at for seasonal food & drink (2021-2022)
- Percentage point change retailer consumers switched to for seasonal food & drink (2021-2022)
- Products purchased - Christmas sweet products, 2021 & 2022
- Products purchased - Christmas savoury products, 2021 & 2022
- Products purchased - meat, fish and free from alternatives, 2021 and 2022
- Products purchased - fruit & vegetables, 2021 & 2022
- Products purchased - alcoholic beverages, 2021 & 2022
- Products purchased - non-alcoholic beverages, 2022
- Percentage point change retailer shopped at for gifts (2021-2022)
- Products purchased - clothing & accessories, 2021 & 2022
- Retailers used - clothing & accessories, 2021 & 2022
- Products purchased - food gifts, 2021 & 2022
- Retailers used - food gifts, 2021 & 2022
- Products purchased - health & beauty, 2021 & 2022
- Retailers used - health & beauty, 2021 & 2022
- Products purchased - alcohol gifts, 2021 & 2022
- Retailers used - alcohol gifts, 2021 & 2022
- Products purchased - toys & games, 2021 & 2022
- Retailers used - toys & games, 2021 & 2022
- Products purchased - books, 2021 & 2022
- Retailers used - books, 2021 & 2022
- Products purchased - footwear, 2021 & 2022
- Retailers used - footwear, 2021 & 2022
- Products purchased - homewares, 2021 & 2022
- Retailers used - homewares, 2021 & 2022
- Products purchased - money, 2021 & 2022
- Products purchased - stationery, 2021 & 2022
- Retailers used - stationery, 2021 & 2022
- Products purchased - vouchers & gift cards, 2021 & 2022
- Products purchased - electricals, 2021 & 2022
- Retailers used - electricals, 2021 & 2022
- Products purchased - music & video, 2021 & 2022
- Retailers used - music & video, 2021 & 2022
- Products purchased - experiences, 2021 & 2022
- Products purchased - leather goods, 2021 & 2022
- Retailers used - leather goods, 2021 & 2022
- Products purchased - sports, 2021 & 2022
- Retailers used - sports, 2021 & 2022
- Products purchased - fine jewellery and watches, 2021 & 2022
- Retailers used - fine jewellery and watches, 2021 & 2022
- Products purchased - garden items, 2021 & 2022
- Retailers used - garden items, 2021 & 2022
- Products purchased - computers, 2021 & 2022
- Retailers used - computers, 2021 & 2022
- Products purchased - DIY, 2021 & 2022
- Retailers used - DIY, 2021 & 2022
- Products purchased - secondhand gifts, 2021 & 2022
- Social media platforms used, 2021 & 2022
- Products purchased - regifting, 2022
- Percentage point change retailer shopped at for festive items (2021-2022)
- Products purchased - Christmas wrapping & cards, 2021 & 2022
- Retailers used - Christmas wrapping & cards, 2021 & 2022
- Products purchased - Christmas trees & decorations, 2021 & 2022
- Retailers used - Christmas trees & decorations, 2021 & 2022
- Products purchased - festive home products, 2021 & 2022
- Retailers used - festive home products, 2021 & 2022
- Retailers used - Christmas crackers, 2021 & 2022
- Retailers used - Christmas advent calendar, 2021 & 2022
- Products purchased - Christmas partywear, 2021 & 2022
- Retailers used - Christmas partywear, 2021 & 2022
- Percentage point change retailer shopped at for items for the home (2021-2022)
- Products purchased - electricals, 2021 & 2022
- Retailers used - electricals, 2021 & 2022
- Products purchased - homewares, 2021 & 2022
- Retailers used - homewares, 2021 & 2022
- Products purchased - furniture, 2021 & 2022
- Retailers used - furniture, 2021 & 2022
- Consumers that used various methods to finance Christmas spend in 2021 and 2022
- Christmas 2022 shopper penetration (by demographic and by region) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Christmas shopper profile (by demographic & by region), 2022
- Christmas 2022 retail shopper penetration (by demographic and by region)
- Christmas 2022 leisure shopper penetration (by demographic and by region)
- When consumers started their Christmas shopping, 2022
- Did consumers start their Christmas shopping earlier this year (by answer & age), 2022
- Reasons why consumers started Christmas shopping earlier, 2022
- Financial wellbeing compared to last year, 2021 & 2022
- Consumers' Christmas spending compared to last year, 2021 & 2022
- How consumers' Christmas spending changed due to the cost-of-living crisis, 2022
- Priorities in different categories for Christmas spend, 2022
- How consumers financed Christmas spending, 2021 & 2022
- Agreement statements about Christmas, 2022 and ppt change on 2021
- Success of retailers at promoting or communicating Christmas deals, 2022
- Christmas stockings received penetration 2022 (by demographic and by region) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Christmas stockings given penetration 2022 (by demographic and by region) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Christmas stockings average spend, 2021 & 2022
- Christmas stockings bought, 2021 & 2022
- Secret Santa penetration 2022 (by demographic and by region) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Secret Santa budget, 2021 & 2022
- Secret Santa bought for, 2021 & 2022
- Secret Santa budget spending patterns, 2021 & 2022
- Christmas returns penetration 2022 (by demographic and by region) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Number of Christmas returns 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 overall
- Reasons for returning Christmas presents, 2022 and ppt change on 2021
- Overall food and drink penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Retailers shopped at for seasonal food and drink, 2021 & 2022
- Retailers most shopped at for seasonal food and drink, 2021 & 2022
- Drivers of food & drink retailer selection, 2022 and ppt change on 2021
- Consumers switching from their usual main retailer, 2022 by demographic & 2020, 2021 overall
- Top 10 retailers consumers switched to, 2021 & 2022
- Reasons for switching main retailer, 2022 and ppt change on 2021
- Consumers using each channel for purchasing seasonal food and drink, 2021 & 2022
- Consumers using each store type for purchasing seasonal food and drink, 2021 & 2022
- Consumers using each device for seasonal food and drink purchases, 2021 & 2022
- Fulfilment options for seasonal food and drink purchases made online, 2021 & 2022
- Average spend on seasonal food and non-alcoholic beverages by retailer, 2022 and £ change on 2021
- Average spend on seasonal alcoholic beverages by retailer, 2022 and £ change on 2021
- Christmas sweet products 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Christmas savoury products 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Meat, fish and free from alternatives 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Fruit & vegetables 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Alcoholic beverages 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Non-alcoholic beverages 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Overall seasonal food & drink planned/impulse purchases, and by category, 2021 & 2022
- Overall gift penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Retailers shopped at for gifts, 2021 & 2022
- Drivers of gifts retailer selection, 2022 & ppt change on 2021
- Consumers using each channel for purchasing Christmas gifts, 2021 & 2022
- Consumers using store type for purchasing Christmas gifts, 2021 & 2022
- Consumers using each device for Christmas gift shopping purchases, 2021 & 2022
- Fulfilment options for Christmas gift purchases made online, 2021 & 2022
- How consumers gave presents, 2021 & 2022
- Average spend on Christmas gifts by product category, 2022 and £ change on 2021
- Who consumers bought Christmas gifts for, 2022 and ppt change on 2021
- Clothing & accessories penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Food gifts penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Health & beauty penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Alcohol gifts penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Toys & games penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Views regarding gifting plastic toys, 2021 & 2022
- Books penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Footwear penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Homewares penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Money penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Stationery penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Voucher & gift cards penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Electricals penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Music & video penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Experiences penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Leather goods penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Sports penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Fine jewellery & watches penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Garden items penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Computers penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- DIY penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Overall gift planned/impulse purchases, and by sector 2021 & 2022
- Overall gift personalisation, and by sector, 2021 & 2022
- Secondhand gifts penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2021 penetration
- Channel usage for secondhand gift purchasing, 2021 & 2022
- Reasons for purchasing/not purchasing secondhand gifts, 2022 and ppt change on 2021
- Gifts purchased seen/promoted on social media penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Regifting penetrations 2022 (by demographic) & 2021 penetration
- Reasons for regifting, 2022 and ppt change on 2021
- Who consumers regifted to, 2022 and ppt change on 2021
- Overall festive items penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Retailers shopped at for festive items, 2021 & 2022
- Drivers of retailer selection for festive items, 2022 and ppt change on 2021
- Consumers using each channel for festive item purchases, 2021 & 2022
- Consumers using each store type for festive item purchases, 2021 & 2022
- Consumers using each device for festive item purchases, 2021 & 2022
- Fulfilment options for festive item purchases made online, 2021 & 2022
- Average spend on festive items, 2022 and £ change on 2021
- Christmas wrapping & cards penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Types of gift bags purchased, 2021 & 2022
- Colour scheme chosen for festive gift wrap, 2021 & 2022
- Christmas trees and decorations penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Christmas tree purchasing dynamics, by real & artificial trees, 2022
- Artificial Christmas tree replacement by number of years
- Bulb count on Christmas lights purchased by internal & external, 2022
- Bulb colour of Christmas lights purchased by internal & external, 2022
- Festive home products penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Colour scheme chosen for festive home products, 2021, 2022
- Christmas crackers penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Consumers filling in Christmas crackers themselves, 2021, 2022
- Consumers' opinion on whether retailers should stop including plastic toys in crackers, 2021, 2022
- Christmas advent calendar penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Christmas advent calendar bought for, 2021 & 2022
- Types of products included in Christmas advent calendars, 2021 & 2022
- Christmas partywear penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Overall festive items planned/impulse purchases, and by product category, 2021 & 2022
- Overall festive items personalisation, and by product category, 2021 & 2022
- Overall items for the home penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Retailers shopped at for items for the home, 2021 & 2022
- Drivers of items for the home retailer selection, 2022 and ppt change from 2021
- Consumers using each channel for items for the home, 2021 & 2022
- Consumers using each store type for items for the home, 2021 & 2022
- Consumers using each device for items for the home, 2021 & 2022
- Consumers using each fulfilment option for items for the home, 2021 & 2022
- Average spend on items for the home by category, 2022 and £ change from 2021
- Electricals penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Homewares penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Furniture penetration 2022 (by demographic) & 2020, 2021 penetration
- Overall items for the home planned/impulse purchases, and by category, 2021 & 2022
Companies Mentioned (Partial List)
A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes, but is not limited to:
- Adidas
- Aldi
- Amazon
- AO
- Apple
- Argos
- ASDA
- ASOS
- B&M
- B&Q
- Barker & Stonehouse
- Beauty Bay
- Boots
- Card Factory
- Clintons
- Co-op
- Currys
- Debenhams
- Decathlon
- Dobbies
- Dreams
- Dunelm
- Euronics
- GAME
- H&M
- H. Samuel
- HMV
- Home Bargains
- Homebase
- Hotel Chocolat
- Iceland
- IKEA
- JD Sports
- John Lewis & Partners
- Lidl
- Links of London
- Marks & Spencer
- Matalan
- Morrisons
- Next
- Nike
- Ocado
- Pandora
- Poundland
- PrettyLittleThing
- Primark
- Radley
- River Island
- Robert Dyas
- Sainsbury's
- Screwfix
- Shein
- Smyths Toys
- Snapchat
- Snow+Rock
- Sports Direct
- Superdrug
- Swarovski
- Tesco
- The Body Shop
- The Book People
- The Entertainer
- The Fragrance Shop
- The Range
- The Works
- Tiffany & Co
- TikTok
- TK Maxx
- Under Armour
- Very
- Waitrose & Partners
- Warren James
- WatchShop.com
- Waterstones
- Wayfair
- WH Smith
- Wilko
- World of Books
- YouTube
- Zara
- Zavvi
