Britons prefer high street for Christmas shopping - survey

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Nov 28, 2017

Online shopping may offer convenience and speedy checkouts, but Britons still prefer to purchase their Christmas presents in-store, according to mobile network operator Giffgaff.

A survey of over 2,000 respondents has revealed that stores continue to be the preferred shopping method during the festive season for 51.9% of consumers, while a meagre 9.5% of Brits would rather buy presents on mobile.

With 24.5% of Brits prepared to spend up to £700 on buying Christmas presents this year, the report suggests customers still have concerns about purchasing pricier items online, as 44% admit to making their most expensive purchases exclusively in-store. 

Victoria Tagg, Head of Search at Giffgaff, commented: “Although it is a well-known fact that mobile commerce is increasing, our research clearly shows that people still feel more comfortable spending large sums of money in-store, where they can see the item and take it home that day. This is especially true over the Christmas period.” 

The survey also showed that 40% of British people don’t donate a penny to charity at Christmas, and that those aged between 18 and 24 are the most charitable, despite spending the least amount on Christmas for themselves.