Member Article

More presents for the pets than the grandparents? Leeds shopping secrets laid bare

Hammerson, owners of Leeds’ Victoria Quarter Shopping Arcade and the new Victoria Gate complex have revealed the secrets of the city’s Christmas shopping habits as well as who is predicted to lead the way in the spending stakes for the festive period.

More than 70% of women in Yorkshire will ditch their friends, family, and spouses choosing to do the Christmas shopping alone, compared to 45% of men who prefer to shop with their partners.

What’s more, just under half of men in the region will wait until the eleventh hour to do their gift-buying in the belief that they’ll find some last minute bargains and on average spend a mere £88.

Hammerson surveyed more than 2,000 consumers and found that the Christmas shop has become an increasingly focused expedition in which a third of Yorkshire folk research their gifts beforehand, making their trip to the shops as time and cost effective as possible.

The biggest festive woe for 80% of Yorkshire shoppers is the crowds, closely followed by the incessant Christmas music 40%. Interestingly, a quarter of men said browsing for gifts and then wrapping their presents are the most unenjoyable task of the festive season.

25% of thrifty Yorkshire folk prefer to wait until after the sales to purchase their most expensive gifts in order to make the most of the January sales, with more than 15% of men and women researching what they want to buy in the sales long before Christmas.

The average amount spent on a partner is £88, with Father Christmas delivering on average £188 of gifts for children. Lowest on the list of average spend are pets (£12) and colleagues (£11).

However, despite spending £36 on Christmas gifts for grandparents, more people in Yorkshire will purchase a gift for their pet or colleague over their grandparents.

Despite 40% of people in Yorkshire saying they regularly find bargains in the January sales, nearly 35% of them think the items they buy in the sales are unnecessary and a waste of money.

In addition, 70% of the region’s shoppers believe the great January sale has become much less important in recent years as retailers offer hefty discounts all year round.

Alex Petit, Group Head of Insight at Hammerson, said: “It’s fascinating how people alter their typical shopping habits for the Christmas shop and it looks like the British shopper has adopted a steely determination when it comes to festive gift buying.

“The internet has undoubtedly contributed towards this. Consumers can now be more prepared, researching online in advance allowing them to make only one or two major trips, close to Christmas.

“The impact and prominence that retailers’ have put on Christmas adverts this year well and truly puts the Christmas buying season in the front of consumers’ minds. However, the January sales have lost some of their impact as a result of more frequent discounting.”

KEY FINDINGS:

• 1 in 10 people take time off work to do their Christmas shopping
• More people buy gifts for their pets (12%), than they do for their grandparents (9%)
• A third of parents (30%) give their children a separate allowance to do their Christmas shop
• 46% of people say they enjoy stores Christmas displays in shops

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .