Member Article

Commuters spend on travel treats

As Autumn kicks in and more than 11 million commuters make their way into the office in less sunny spells, new research from American Express® reveals that the average commuter spends more than £1,000 (£1,045[2]) a year or just under £100 (£94.97) a month on treats for their journey to and from work.

With the average daily commute taking one hour, spending on those ‘must have’ items can quickly rack-up. Drinks are the most popular purchase with commuters spending £16.93[3] a month on tea, coffee, juice and energy drinks. Snacks such as crisps, chocolate and fruit, are the second favourite (£16.49), followed by breakfast on the way to work (£13.44). Spending on newspapers and magazines (£12.83), books and ebooks (£12.00), music (£11.83) and apps and games (£11.48) are also high on the shopping list to help pass the time and make the trip into work more pleasurable.

The main reasons given by the 3,000 adults polled in the survey for indulging in a daily treat are a ‘stressful day at the office’ ( 29%), ‘it’s pay day’ (25%) and ’ to cheer me up’ (22%).

Londoners spend almost double the national average

The research also reveals that spending habits vary significantly across the nation, with Londoners spending more than £1,900 a year on treats, closely followed by those in Birmingham (£1,758.24). Brighton’s commuters are the least likely to part with their cash for treats, spending just over £600 a year.

The reasons for buying treats also change depending on which city people live in. Stress turns more than a third of those in Edinburgh (35%), London and Glasgow (33%) to treats, whereas payday is the reason to indulge in Birmingham (31%) closely followed by those in

Belfast (28%) and Manchester (28%). Commuters in Leeds are most likely to indulge themselves when in need of cheering up (29%).

Nicholas Stefanovitz, Vice President of Consumer Cards UK at American Express said: “The daily commute can take its toll, with many of us resorting to snacks, magazines and books to brighten our day. However, as we’ve seen from the research, the cost of these treats can soon mount up and so commuters should consider swapping their loose change for spending on a cashback card, that could soon see them racking up a healthy cashback balance. The option of using contactless also means that paying with plastic and accruing rewards on your spending has never been easier”.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by American Express .