Shopping rush: one in five Brits will buy first gift they see

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Dec 1, 2017

The pressure of gift giving and last minute shopping trips will make many Brits panic-buy ‘thoughtless’ presents for their loved ones this Christmas, according to new research.

A survey of 2,000 adults from leading online lender Myjar.com has revealed that one in five shoppers will be leaving their festive shopping until the week before Christmas. The last-minute approach, coupled with panic shopping, means many Brits will be buying the first gift they see just to get it out of the way, according to the Independent.

Meanwhile 20% of consumers know exactly what they will be buying their loved ones for Christmas this year and 17% complete their festive shopping more than a month ahead of Christmas Day, said the report.

Scots are Britain’s most organised gift-givers, with 28% thinking about Christmas present ideas well in advance, while shoppers in the North East of England are the most prepared with 33% finishing their shopping one month ahead of the big day.

The report also revealed that more than 25% of consumers feel under pressure to buy presents for their partner, despite not always being able to afford it – and one in three worry about how much they spend on presents for friends and family.

A spokesperson for Myjar.com said: “Despite being a sentimental nation, life can get in the way meaning we leave buying our Christmas gifts to the last minute and even panic buy just to put something under the tree.

“This often results in spending more than intended and can even leave our loved ones disappointed with generic or seemingly thoughtless gifts.”

The average family is expected to receive £462-worth of presents over the Christmas period this year, according to the report.