A quarter of Brits to start Christmas shopping this month

25% of Brits that celebrate Christmas say they will have started thinking about Christmas shopping before the end of August, according to a new report from eBay Ads UK.

The new data suggests that greater consumer confidence in the return of the traditional Christmas could prompt people to start shopping sooner and spend more this festive season.

The research, which surveyed 2,000 UK consumers who celebrate Christmas, reveals that people are feeling more optimistic about Christmas 2021 as they anticipate a more ordinary festive season than last year.

60% feel optimistic that they’ll be able to celebrate as usual this Christmas, whilst 49% think that this Christmas will feel traditional and plan to do what they always do. A quarter (25%) feel Christmas will be more exciting this year – up from just 16% in 2020.

This positivity could prompt people to prepare for Christmas earlier this year – with 27% of respondents planning to start Christmas shopping and preparations earlier than they did last year, 41% saying they’ll have finished their Christmas shopping before December even starts.

However, despite this optimism, many people are still worried about further disruption due to COVID-19. Nearly half (45%) are likely to put off making plans for Christmas until the last minute, and 30% are so worried about more disruption that they might even celebrate Christmas early.

Harmony Murphy, GM Advertising UK at eBay, said: “After so much stress and disruption over the past year and a half, and last Christmas especially, it’s brilliant to see Brits are finally feeling more hopeful about this year’s festive celebrations – albeit cautiously.

“To make the most of the opportunity this presents, brands need to start engaging with customers early on to ensure they are front of mind when it’s time to purchase. And, taking into account ongoing uncertainty, brands should also look to tap into the mindsets of their customers to make sure they are interacting with them in meaningful and relevant ways – however they are feeling this Christmas.”

Pauline Robson, Managing Partner, MediaCom UK, added: “2020 brought us a Christmas like no other with retailers, brands and consumers having to flex and adapt plans at short notice. As we look forward to what we hope will be a less disrupted Christmas, this data from eBay demonstrates that it is even more important than ever to understand the mindset and behaviours of your audience in the run up to this crucial period.

“The brands that will win this Christmas will be those that are able to use this insight to drive cultural relevance and to ensure that their campaigns reflect the diversity of their audiences.”