Christmas Shopping Habits - UK - February 2005

INTRODUCTION AND ABBREVIATIONS
Definitions
Research methodology
Consumer research
Other research
 ABBREVIATIONS
PREMIER INSIGHT
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Review of Christmas 2004
Winners and losers
Market factors
The significance of Christmas to retailers
Consumer research findings
Consumer types
Issues for Christmas 2005
Consumer spending trends – few positive indicators
Consumer spending patterns – how will shoppers behave in 2005?
Retain focus on core competencies
Margin management even more important than ever
The relationship between online and store-based shopping
Major improvement in online service standards required
Later shopping congestion adds to shopper dissatisfaction
REVIEW OF CHRISTMAS TRADING 2004
National Statistics sales data
Figure 1: Percentage change in December retail sales, 2003-04
 CATEGORY REVIEWS
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
Booksellers
Health and beauty
Garden centres
Miscellaneous
Sports and leisure
Others
Non-store retailing
Conclusions and implications
MARKET FACTORS
PDI and consumer expenditure trends and outlook
Figure 2: PDI and consumer expenditure, at current and constant 1998 prices, 1998-2009
Personal debt
Figure 3: Net lending to individuals, seasonally adjusted, November 2002-November 2004
Unemployment and changing work patterns
Figure 4: Structure of the working population, by gender, 1999-2009
Figure 5: UK households and one-person households, 1998-2009
Ageing population
Figure 6: Trends and projections in UK population, by age group, 1998-2009
Socio-economic factors
Figure 7: UK adult population (aged 15+), by socio-economic group, 1999-2009
Competing for consumer spend
Conclusions and prospects for 2005
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF CHRISTMAS TO RETAIL BUSINESSES
Retail sales growth
Figure 8: All retail sales, at current and constant prices, 2000-04
Performance by sector in 2004 compared to 2003
Figure 9: Change in sales value on previous year, by sector, 2003 and 2004
Performance by sector – fourth quarter 2004 compared to fourth quarter 2003
Figure 10: Change in sales value on previous year, by sector, fourth quarters 2003 and 2004
Performance by sector – December 2003 and 2004
Figure 11: December Change in sales value on previous year, by sector, December 2003 and December 2004
The relative importance of fourth quarter sales
Figure 12: Seasonal analysis of retail sales value – proportion of sales taken in fourth quarter, by sector, 1995-2004
The relative importance of December sales
Figure 13: Seasonal analysis of retail sales value – proportion of sales taken in December, by sector, 1995-2004
Conclusions and implications
THE CONSUMER
 KEY FINDINGS
Patterns of spend and types of gift bought
Figure 14: How much consumers antcipated they would spend and what they think they spent on Christmas gifts this year compared to the previous year, summary, October 2004 and January 2005
Figure 15: How much consumers think they spent on Christmas gifts this year compared to the previous year, by gender, age and socio-economic group, January 2005
Trends in gift purchasing
Figure 16: Amount consumers think they spent this Christmas on gifts for close family and friends, January 2005
Figure 17: Amount consumers think they spent this Christmas on gifts for close family and friends, by gender, age and socio-economic group, January 2005
Figure 18: Which items consumers bought as a gift this Christmas, January 2005
Figure 19: Which items consumers thought they would buy and actually bought as a gift this Christmas, October 2004 and January 2005
Figure 20: Which items consumers bought as a gift this Christmas, by gender, age and socio-economic group, January 2005
Figure 21: Which items consumers bought as a gift this Christmas, by gender, age and socio-economic group, January 2005
CONSUMER ATTITUDES AND TYPOLOGIES
Key findings
Attitudes towards Christmas shopping
Figure 22: Consumer agreement with statements about shopping this Christmas, summary, January 2005
Figure 23: Consumer agreement with statements about shopping this Christmas, by gender, age and socio-economic group, January 2005
Figure 24: Consumer agreement with statements about shopping this Christmas, by gender, age and socio-economic group, January 2005
Shopping habits
Figure 25: Consumer agreement with attitudes regarding Christmas shopping, Summary, January 2005
Figure 26: Consumer agreement with attitudes regarding Christmas shopping, by gender, age and socio-economic group, January 2005
Improvements sought in the Christmas shopping experience
Figure 27: Improvements consumers would like to see to improve the Christmas shopping experience, January 2005
Figure 28: Improvements consumers would like to see to improve the Christmas shopping experience, by gender, age and socio-economic group, January 2005
Figure 29: Improvements consumers would like to see to improve the Christmas shopping experience, by gender, age and socio-economic group, January 2005
Consumer types
Figure 30: Consumer types, January 2005
The Indulgent – 19% of sample
Christmas shopping clusters by demographics
Figure 31: Christmas shopping cluster groups, by gender, age, socio-economic group and Mintel’s Special Groups, January 2005
Repertoire of product categories purchased
Figure 32: Repertoire of categories purchased, January 2005
Figure 33: Repertoire items bought by consumer type, January 2005
Products purchased related to amount spent
Figure 34: Categories purchased by amount spent, January 2005
ISSUES FOR CHRISTMAS 2005
Consumer spending trends – few positive indicators
Consumer spending patterns – how will shoppers behave in 2005?
Retain focus on core competencies
Margin management even more important than ever
The relationship between online and store-based shopping
Major improvement in online service standards required
Later shopping increases congestion and adds to shopper dissatisfaction
APPENDIX 1
Figure 35: How much consumers think they spent on Christmas gifts this year compared to the previous year, by gender, age and Socio-economic group, January 2005
Figure 36: How much consumers think they spent on Christmas gifts this year compared to the previous year, by lifestage, presence of children and marital status, January 2005
Figure 37: How much consumers think they spent on Christmas gifts this year compared to the previous year, by region and Mintel’s Special Groups, January 2005
Figure 38: How much consumers think they spent on Christmas gifts this year compared to the previous year, by store used regularly for grocery shopping, January 2005
Figure 39: Which items consumers bought as a gift this Christmas, by gender, age and socio-economic group, January 2005
Figure 40: Which items consumers bought as a gift this Christmas, by gender, age and socio-economic group, January 2005
Figure 41: Which items consumers bought as a gift this Christmas by, lifestage, presence of children and martial status, January 2005
Figure 42: Which items consumers bought as a gift this Christmas, by lifestage, presence of children and martial status, January 2005
Figure 43: Which items consumers bought as a gift this Christmas, by region and Mintel’s Special Groups, January 2005
Figure 44: Which items consumers bought as a gift this Christmas, by region and Mintel’s Special Groups, January 2005
Figure 45: Which items consumers bought as a gift this Christmas, by store used regularly for grocery shopping, January 2005
Figure 46: Which items consumers bought as a gift this Christmas, by store used regularly for grocery shopping, January 2005
Figure 47: Amount consumers think they spent this Christmas on gifts for close family and friends, by gender, age and socio-economic group, January 2005
Figure 48: Amount consumers think they spent this Christmas on gifts for close family and friends, by lifestage, presence of children and Marital status, January 2005
Figure 49: Amount consumers think they spent this Christmas on gifts for close family and friends, by region and Mintel’s Special Groups, January 2005
Figure 50: Amount consumers think they spent this Christmas on gifts for close family and friends, store used regularly for grocery shopping, January 2005
APPENDIX 2
Figure 51: Consumer agreement with statements about shopping this Christmas, by gender, age and socio-economic group, January 2005
Figure 52: Consumer agreement with statements about shopping this Christmas, by gender, age and socio-economic group, January 2005
Figure 53: Consumer agreement with statements about shopping this Christmas, by lifestage, presence of children and martial status, January 2005
Figure 54: Consumer agreement with statements about shopping this Christmas, by lifestage, presence of children and martial status, January 2005
Figure 55: Consumer agreement with statements about shopping this Christmas, by region and Mintel’s special groups, January 2005
Figure 56: Consumer agreement with statements about shopping this Christmas, by region and Mintel’s Special Groups, January 2005
Figure 57: Consumer agreement with statements about shopping this Christmas, by store used regularly for grocery shopping, January 2005
Figure 58: Consumer agreement with statements about shopping this Christmas, by store used regularly for grocery shopping, January 2005
Figure 59: Consumer agreement with attitudes regarding Christmas shopping, by gender, age and socio-economic group, January 2005
Figure 60: Consumer agreement with attitudes regarding Christmas shopping, by lifestage, presence of children and marital status, January 2005
Figure 61: Consumer agreement with attitudes regarding Christmas shopping, by region and Mintel’s Special Groups, January 2005
Figure 62: Consumer agreement with attitudes regarding Christmas shopping, by store used regularly for grocery shopping, January 2005
Figure 63: Improvements consumers would like to see to improve the Christmas shopping experience, by Gender, age and socio-economic group, January 2005
Figure 64: Improvements consumers would like to see to improve the Christmas shopping experience, by Gender, age and socio-economic group, January 2005
Figure 65: Improvements consumers would like to see to improve the Christmas shopping experience, by lifestage, presence of children and Marital status, January 2005
Figure 66: Improvements consumers would like to see to improve the Christmas shopping experience, by lifestage, presence of children and marital status, January 2005
Figure 67: Improvements consumers would like to see to improve the Christmas shopping experience, by region and Mintel’s Special Groups, January 2005
Figure 68: Improvements consumers would like to see to improve the Christmas shopping experience, by region and Mintel’s Special Groups, January 2005
Figure 69: Improvements consumers would like to see to improve the Christmas shopping experience, by store used regularly for grocery shopping, January 2005
Figure 70: Improvements consumers would like to see to improve the Christmas shopping experience, by store used regularly for grocery shopping, January 2005
Figure 71: Consumer type, by gender, age, socio-economic group, January 2005
Figure 72: Consumer type by region, Mintel’s Special Groups and store regularly used for grocery shopping, January 2005
Figure 73: Repertoire items bought by consumer type, January 2005
Figure 74: Number of items bought, by what consumers bought, January 2005
Figure 75: Categories purchased by amount spent, January 2005