Table of Contents
Issues in the Market
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- Key themes
- Definition
- Retail sales data
- Abbreviations
Future Opportunities
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- Improving the online Christmas shopping experience
- Less perspiration, more inspiration
- Honing down the selection
- Linking shoppers together
- Putting the fun back into Christmas
- Join the party!
- Teach me to…
- Dreaming of a greener Christmas
- Less wasteful, still decorative
- Give a little bit
Market in Brief
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- Recovery in Christmas sales in 2009
- Less discounting a big factor
- Improvement in consumer confidence
- Food retailers continue to increase share of spending
- Wide variation in performance in non-foods
- Home shopping has another good year
- Wide disparity in consumer sentiment
- Clothing and footwear the most popular gift choice
- Preparations start early for Christmas
Internal Market Environment
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- Key points
- Plenty of promotions, but less all-out discounting
- Promotions planned well ahead
- Supermarkets invest heavily in lower prices
- Online sales started early
- Trading up for Christmas
- A big Saturday Boxing Day
- Retailers still reaping benefits of 2008 collapses
- Internet growing in importance
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- Figure 1: British internet penetration at home/work/place of study or elsewhere, by gender, socio-economic group and age group, 2002-09
Broader Market Environment
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- Key points
- Return of consumer confidence could be short-lived
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- Figure 2: Trends in PDI, consumer expenditure and GDP, at current prices, 2004-14
- VAT back up to 17.5%
- Unemployment levels out, but could rise again
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- Figure 3: Unemployment: four quarter average seasonally adjusted, January 2008-October 2009
- Figure 4: Trends in consumer sentiment for the coming year, Jan-Dec 2009
- More choosing to save their earnings
- Population growth to boost Christmas spending
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- Figure 5: Trends in the age structure of the UK population, 2004-14
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- Figure 6: Trends in the socio-economic structure of the UK adult population, 2004-14
Market in Context
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- Key points
- Most important trading period of the year
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- Figure 7: Seasonal analysis of retail sales value – proportion of sales taken in December, by sector, 1995-2009
- Bias to fourth quarter for home shopping companies
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- Figure 8: Seasonal analysis of retail sales value – proportion of sales taken in fourth quarter, by sector, 1995-2009
Strengths and Weaknesses in the Market
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- Strengths
- Weaknesses
Who’s Innovating?
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- Helping with catering worries
- Opening a dialogue with shoppers
- Celebrating with a penny bazaar
- Harvey Nichols expands pop-up shop format
- Increasing the heart rate
Review of Christmas Trading 2009
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- Key points
- Strong turnaround in Christmas trading
- BRC reports big increases
- National Statistics retail sales also up on 2008
- Food retailers outperform market again
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- Figure 9: December, year-on-year change in sales value, by sector, 2007-08 and 2008-09
- Home shopping companies have a good year
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- Figure 10: Fourth quarter year-on-year change in sales value, by sector, 2007-08 and 2008-09
- Annual retail sales growth lower than 2008
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- Figure 11: Retail sales annual change, by value, not seasonally adjusted, 2007-08 and 2008-09
Christmas Spending Patterns
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- Key points
- Little change in perceptions of Christmas spending
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- Figure 12: Perceptions of spending compared to last year, January 2008-January 2010
- Wide disparity in consumer sentiment
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- Figure 13: Balance of sentiment on spending on Christmas compared to previous year, by age January 2010
- Third age most likely to have cut back
- Amount spent on gifts similar to 2008
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- Figure 14: Spending on Christmas gifts for close family and friends, January 2008-January 2010
- Younger consumers spend less on gifts
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- Figure 15: Amount spent on Christmas gifts for close friends and family, by age, January 2010
- Children push up the expense of Christmas
- Wide variations in average gift spending from average
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- Figure 16: Average amount spent on Christmas gifts for close friends and family, by demographics, January 2010
Christmas Gifting Patterns
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- Key points
- Clothing extends lead as most popular choice
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- Figure 17: Comparison of purchasing of gifts, January 2008-January 2010
- Giving vouchers or money just lazy or practical?
- Experience gifts yet to take off
- Charity gifts rise in the recession
- Women the dominant Christmas gift buyers
- Families likely to be buying from more categories
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- Figure 18: Top items bought as Christmas gifts, by Mintel’s Special Groups, January 2010
Christmas Shopping Attitudes and Behaviour
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- Key points
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- Figure 19: Comparison of attitudes towards Christmas gift shopping, January 2008-January 2010
- Most shoppers prepared a list for Christmas 2009
- While half kept to their budget
- Timing of Christmas shopping spread widely
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- Figure 20: Timing of Christmas shopping, by age, January 2010
- Making the most of retailer promotions
- Promotional offers have widespread appeal
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- Figure 21: Influence of price on Christmas shopping, by Mintel’s Special Groups, January 2010
- Saving up for a good Christmas
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- Figure 22: Financing of Christmas, by age and socio-economic group, January 2010
- Late December rather than January sales
- Biggest spenders spend throughout the year
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- Figure 23: Average amount spent on Christmas gifts for close friends and family, by attitudes towards Christmas gift shopping, January 2010
Impact of Online on Christmas Shopping Behaviour
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- Key points
- Internet Christmas gift buying continues to grow
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- Figure 24: Usage of the internet for christmas shopping, January 2008-January 2010
- Reducing the hassle of visiting crowded shops
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- Figure 25: Proportion buying most Christmas gifts using the internet, by age and socio-economic group, January 2010
- Doing Christmas research online before buying
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- Figure 26: Use of the internet for gift ideas and comparing prices, by age and Mintel’s Special Groups, January 2010
- Positive experience for most users
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- Figure 27: Evaluation of online Christmas gift buying experience by buyers, January 2010
- Use of money-off vouchers not widespread
- Internet buyers spend more on gifts
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- Figure 28: Average amount spent on Christmas gifts for close friends and family, by statements on usage of the internet for Christmas shopping, January 2010
Christmas Shopper Target Groups
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- Key points
- Identifying targets
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- Figure 29: Christmas shopping target groups, January 2010
- Leave It Late (19%)
- Prepared Shoppers (27%)
- Bargain Hunters (17%)
- Apathetic (37%)
- Bargain hunters getting the most for their money
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- Figure 30: Items bought as Christmas gifts, by target groups, January 2010
- Lack of interest not a barrier to spending
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- Figure 31: Amount Spent on Christmas gifts to close friends and family, by target groups, January 2010
- Internet buyers the biggest bargain hunters
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- Figure 32: Statements on internet shopping for last Christmas, by target groups, January 2010
Retail Competitor Analysis
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- Key points
- All retail sales
- Predominantly food retailers – includes all food, drink and tobacco specialists
- Predominantly non-food retailers
- Mixed goods – Non-specialised non-food stores
- Clothing and footwear stores
- Household goods stores
- All other non-food specialists
- Jewellers
- Sports and leisure
- Music and entertainment retailers
- Toys and games retailers
- Other miscellaneous non-food retailers
- Non-store retailing
Appendix – Christmas Spending Patterns
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- Figure 33: Perceptions of spending compared with last year, by demographics, January 2010
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- Figure 34: Spending on Christmas gifts for close family and friends, by demographics, January 2010
- Figure 35: Average amount spent on Christmas gifts to close friends and family, by demographics, January 2010
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Appendix – Christmas Gifting Patterns
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- Figure 36: Items bought as Christmas gifts, by demographics, January 2010
- Figure 37: Items bought as Christmas gifts, by demographics, January 2010
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- Figure 38: Items bought as Christmas gifts, by demographics, January 2010
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Appendix – Christmas Shopping Attitudes and Behaviour
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- Figure 39: Shopping behaviour at Christmas, by demographics, January 2010
- Figure 40: Shopping behaviour at Christmas, by demographics, January 2010
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- Figure 41: Shopping behaviour at Christmas, by demographics, January 2010
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Appendix – Impact of Online on Christmas Shopping Behaviour
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- Figure 42: Christmas shopping and the internet, by demographics, January 2010
- Figure 43: Christmas shopping and the internet, by demographics, January 2010
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- Figure 44: Christmas shopping and the internet, by demographics, January 2010
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Appendix – Christmas Shopper Target Groups
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- Figure 45: Attitudes towards shopping for last christmas, by target groups, January 2010
- Figure 46: Christmas shopping target groups, by demographics, January 2010
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