United Kingdom (UK) 2021 Christmas Market Size, Consumer Attitudes and Buying Dynamics, Key Trends, Category Analysis and Channel Usage report forms part of the anaylst's Retail Occasions series, and offers a comprehensive insight into the consumer dynamics and spending habits of consumers for Christmas. The report analyses the market, the major players, the main trends, and consumer attitudes.
Overall Christmas shopper penetration increased in 2021 but remains behind 2019 levels. After an interrupted 2020, consumers spent more this Christmas as they socialised with friends and family, making it more of an occasion. As the Omicron variant caused COVID-19 cases to increase rapidly in the months preceding Christmas, consumers held off purchasing some gifts and items for the home amid concern of more restrictions during the festive period.
Overall Christmas shopper penetration increased in 2021 but remains behind 2019 levels. After an interrupted 2020, consumers spent more this Christmas as they socialised with friends and family, making it more of an occasion. As the Omicron variant caused COVID-19 cases to increase rapidly in the months preceding Christmas, consumers held off purchasing some gifts and items for the home amid concern of more restrictions during the festive period.
Scope
- Overall Christmas shopper penetration increased 0.6ppts in 2021 compared to 2020 but remains 3.6ppts behind 2019’s level.
- 2021 was the first time consumers were able to celebrate Christmas with friends and family since 2020 due to the pandemic. Penetration in furniture (items for the home) grew 0.9ppts from 2020, highlighting more consumers were investing in their homes to prepare to entertain and accommodate friends and family during the festive season.
- The percentage of consumers buying Christmas gifts online fell 10.6ppts this year, however, Amazon held its position at the top of numerous categories including books, music & video, and toys & games. Consumers purchasing gifts on high streets, in town centres and via in-town shopping centres were up 12.0ppts this Christmas, after most physical locations were closed for a significant portion of the Christmas trading period last year due to national and regional lockdowns.
- Overall food & drink penetration was 82.4% this year, up 0.7ppts and 0.2ppts on 2020 and 2019 respectively due to more people socialising amid lack of COVID-19 restrictions. Tesco remained the most shopped grocer this year and was rated top for its product range and display.
Reasons to Buy
- Understand how consumers attitudes and shopping behaviours have changed as a result of the pandemic, and whether we are seeing a return to pre-COVID-19 levels.
- Understand what drives consumers to use a retailer for their purchases, such as convenience, value for money and delivery options in order to maximise sales potential.
- Use our in-depth analysis of the leading retailers for Christmas to understand how to appeal shoppers and increase market share.
Table of Contents
- THE KEY FINDINGS
- The Key Findings
- Overall shopper penetration increases as consumers made Christmas more of an occasion this year
- Consumers purchase furniture and festive home products to entertain family and friends over the Christmas period
- Shoppers spend more on seasonal food & drink this year and trade up for better quality products
- A muted return to the high street allows Amazon to remain dominant
- Trend insight - stores
- Trend insight - online
- CONSUMER ATTITUDES
- Key findings
- Buying dynamics
- Financial wellbeing
- Christmas spending
- Financial spending
- Christmas statements
- Retailer selection
- Retailer ratings - grocers
- Retailer ratings - non-food retailers
- Christmas stockings
- Secret Santa
- Christmas returns
- COVID-19 impact
- Buying dynamics
- Seasonal food and drink
- Buying dynamics (Food & drink overall)
- Retailer used
- Retailer selection
- Buying dynamics (Consumers switching main retailer)
- Retailer used (Consumers switched to)
- Retailer selection (Reasons for retailer switching)
- Channel usage
- Store type
- Device usage
- Fulfilment
- Spending
- Buying dynamics (Categories)
- Planned/impulse
- Gifts
- Buying dynamics (Gifts overall)
- Retailer used
- Retailer selection
- Channel usage
- Store type
- Device usage
- Fulfilment
- Average spend
- Spending
- Recipient
- Buying dynamics (categories)
- Planned/impulse
- Personalisation
- Secondhand gifts
- Gifts purchased seen/promoted on social media
- Regifting
- Festive items
- Buying dynamics (Festive items overall)
- Retailer used
- Retailer selection
- Channel usage
- Store type
- Device usage
- Fulfilment
- Average spend
- Buying dynamics (Categories)
- Christmas gift bags
- Colour schemes chosen
- Christmas tree purchasing dynamics
- Christmas lights purchasing dynamics
- Buying dynamics (Christmas cracker questions)
- Buying dynamics (Christmas glitter use)
- Christmas advent calendar
- Planned/impulse
- Personalisation
- Items for the home
- Buying dynamics (Items for the home overall)
- Retailer used
- Retailer selection
- Channel usage
- Store type
- Device usage
- Fulfilment
- Spending
- Planned/impulse
- Methodology
- Technical details: consumer survey work
List of Tables
- Retailer ratings across key measures - grocers, 2021
- Retailer ratings across key measures - non-food retailers, 2021
- Christmas gift categories consumers plan to return, 2021
- Percentage point change retailer shopped at for seasonal food & drink (2020-2021)
- Percentage point change retailer most shopped at for seasonal food & drink (2020-2021)
- Percentage point change retailer consumers switched to for seasonal food & drink (2020-2021)
- Products purchased - Christmas sweet products, 2020 & 2021
- Products purchased - Christmas savoury products, 2020 & 2021
- Products purchased - meat, fish and free from alternatives, 2020 and 2021
- Products purchased - fruit & vegetables, 2020 & 2021
- Products purchased - alcoholic beverages, 2020 & 2021
- Products purchased - non-alcoholic beverages, 2021
- Percentage point change retailer shopped at for gifts (2020-2021)
- Products purchased - clothing & accessories, 2020 & 2021
- Retailers used - clothing & accessories, 2020 & 2021
- Products purchased - health & beauty, 2020 & 2021
- Retailers used - health & beauty, 2020 & 2021
- Products purchased -food gifts, 2020 & 2021
- Retailers used - food gifts, 2020 & 2021
- Products purchased - alcohol gifts, 2020 & 2021
- Retailers used - alcohol gifts, 2020 & 2021
- Products purchased - books, 2020 & 2021
- Retailers used - books, 2020 & 2021
- Products purchased - toys & games, 2020 & 2021
- Retailers used - toys & games, 2020 & 2021
- Products purchased - footwear, 2020 & 2021
- Retailers used - footwear, 2020 & 2021
- Products purchased - music & video, 2020 & 2021
- Retailers used - music & video, 2020 & 2021
- Products purchased - homewares, 2020 & 2021
- Retailers used - homewares, 2020 & 2021
- Products purchased - money, 2020 & 2021
- Products purchased - electricals, 2020 & 2021
- Retailers used - electricals, 2020 & 2021
- Products purchased - stationery, 2020 & 2021
- Retailers used - stationery, 2020 & 2021
- Products purchased - vouchers & gift cards, 2020 & 2021
- Products purchased - leather goods, 2020 & 2021
- Retailers used - leather goods, 2020 & 2021
- Products purchased - fine jewellery and watches, 2020 & 2021
- Retailers used - fine jewellery and watches, 2020 & 2021
- Products purchased - computers, 2020 & 2021
- Retailers used - computers, 2020 & 2021
- Products purchased - garden items, 2020 & 2021
- Retailers used - garden items, 2020 & 2021
- Products purchased - experience, 2020 & 2021
- Products purchased - sports, 2020 & 2021
- Retailers used - sports, 2020 & 2021
- Products purchased - DIY, 2020 & 2021
- Retailers used - DIY, 2020 & 2021
- Products purchased - secondhand gifts, 2021
- Social media platforms used, 2020 & 2021
- Products purchased - regifting, 2021
- Percentage point change retailer shopped at for festive items (2020-2021)
- Products purchased - Christmas wrapping & cards, 2020 & 2021
- Retailers used - Christmas wrapping & cards, 2020 & 2021
- Products purchased - Christmas trees & decorations, 2020 & 2021
- Retailers used - Christmas trees & decorations, 2020 & 2021
- Products purchased - festive home products, 2020 & 2021
- Retailers used - festive home products, 2020 & 2021
- Retailers used - Christmas crackers, 2020 & 2021
- Retailers used - Christmas advent calendar, 2020 & 2021
- Products purchased - party clothing & accessories, 2020 & 2021
- Retailers used - party clothing & accessories, 2020 & 2021
- Percentage point change retailer shopped at for items for the home (2020-2021)
- Products purchased - homewares, 2020 & 2021
- Retailers used - homewares, 2020 & 2021
- Products purchased - electricals, 2020 & 2021
- Retailers used - electricals, 2020 & 2021
- Products purchased - furniture, 2020 & 2021
- Retailers used - furniture, 2020 & 2021
List of Figures
- Christmas 2021 shopper penetration (by demographic and by region) & 2020 penetration
- Christmas shopper profile (by demographic & by region), 2021
- Financial wellbeing compared to last year, 2020 & 2021
- How consumers Christmas spending compared to last year, 2020 & 2021
- How consumers financed Christmas spending, 2020 & 2021
- Agreement statements about Christmas, 2021
- Success of retailers at promoting or communicating Christmas deals, 2021
- Christmas stockings received penetration 2021 (by demographic and by region) & 2020 penetration
- Christmas stockings given penetration 2021 (by demographic and by region) & 2020 penetration
- Christmas stockings average spend, 2020 & 2021
- Christmas stockings bought, 2020 & 2021
- Secret Santa penetration 2021 (by demographic and by region) & 2020 penetration
- Secret Santa budget, 2020 & 2021
- Secret Santa bought for, 2020 & 2021
- Secret Santa budget spending patterns, 2021
- Christmas returns penetration 2021 (by demographic and by region) & 2020 penetration
- Number of Christmas returns 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 overall
- Reasons for returning Christmas presents, 2021
- COVID-19 impact on Christmas celebrations, 2021
- How COVID-19 impacted Christmas celebrations, 2021
- Spending on Christmas items change due to COVID-19, 2021
- Reasons consumers spent more on Christmas due to COVID-19,2021
- Reasons consumers less more on Christmas due to COVID-19,2021
- When consumers started their Christmas shopping, 2021
- Did consumers start their Christmas shopping earlier this year (by answer & demographic age). 2021
- Reasons why consumers started Christmas shopping earlier, 2021
- Overall food and drink penetration 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Retailers shopped at for seasonal food and drink, 2020 & 2021
- Retailers shopped at for seasonal food and drink, 2020 & 2021
- Drivers of food & drink retailer selection, 2021
- Consumers switching from their usual main retailer, 2021 by demographic & 2020 overall
- Top 10 retailers consumers switched to, 2020 & 2021
- Reasons for switching main retailer, 2021 and ppt change on 2020
- Consumers using each channel for purchasing seasonal food and drink, 2021 (browsed and purchased)
- Consumers using each store type for purchasing seasonal food and drink, 2021 (browsed and purchased)
- Consumers using each device for seasonal food and drink purchases, 2021 (browsed and purchased)
- Fulfilment options for seasonal food and drink purchases made online, 2020 & 2021
- Top 10 retailers most shopped at for seasonal food and non-alcoholic beverages, 2021 and ppt change on 2020
- Top 10 retailers most shopped at for alcoholic beverages, 2021 and ppt change on 2020
- Christmas sweet products 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Christmas savoury products 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Meat, fish and free from alternatives 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Fruit & vegetables 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Alcoholic beverages 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Non-alcoholic beverages 2021 (by demographic)
- Overall seasonal food & drink planned/impulse purchases, and by category, 2020 & 2021
- Overall gift penetration 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Retailers shopped at for gifts, 2020 & 2021
- Drivers of gifts retailer selection, 2021 & ppt change on 2020
- Consumers using each channel for purchasing Christmas gifts, 2021 (browsed and purchased)
- Consumers using store type for purchasing Christmas gifts, 2021 (browsed and purchased)
- Consumers using each device for Christmas gift shopping purchases, 2021 (browsed and purchased)
- Fulfilment options for Christmas gift purchases made online, 2020 & 2021
- How consumers gave presents, 2021
- Average spend on Christmas gifts by product category, 2021 and £ change on 2020
- How spending on gifts changed as a result of COVID-19,2021
- Reasons why consumers spent more on Christmas gifts due to COVID-19,2021
- Reasons why consumers spent less on Christmas gifts due to COVID-19,2021
- Who consumers bought Christmas gifts for, 2021 and ppt change on 2020
- Clothing & accessories penetration 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Health & beauty penetration 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Food gifts penetration 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Alcohol gifts penetration 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Books penetration 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Toys & games penetration 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Views regarding gifting plastic toys, 2021
- Footwear penetration 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Music & video 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Homewares penetration 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Money penetration 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Electricals penetration 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Stationery penetration 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Voucher & gift cards penetration 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Leather goods penetration 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Fine jewellery & watches penetration 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Computers penetration 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Garden items penetration 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Experience penetration 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Sports penetration 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- DIY penetration 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Overall gift planned/impulse purchases, and by sector 2020 & 2021
- Overall gift personalisation, and by sector, 2020 & 2021
- Secondhand gifts penetration 2021 (by demographic)
- Channel usage for secondhand gift purchasing, 2021
- Reasons for purchasing/not purchasing secondhand gifts, 2021
- Gifts purchased seen/promoted on social media penetration 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Regifting penetrations 2021 (by demographic)
- Reasons for regifting, 2021
- Who consumers regifted to, 2021
- Overall festive items penetration 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Retailers shopped at for festive items, 2020 & 2021
- Drivers of retailer selection for festive items, 2021
- Consumers using each channel for festive item purchases, 2021 (browsed and purchased)
- Consumers using each store type for festive item purchases, 2021 (browsed and purchased)
- Consumers using each device for festive item purchases, 2021 (browsed and purchased)
- Fulfilment options for festive item purchases made online, 2020 & 2021
- Average spend on festive items, 2021 and £ change on 2020
- Christmas wrapping & cards penetration 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Types of gift bags purchased, 2021
- Colour scheme chosen for festive gift wrap, 2021
- Christmas trees and decorations penetration 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Christmas tree purchasing dynamics, by real & artificial trees, 2021
- Christmas lights purchasing dynamics, by internal & external lights, 2021
- Festive home products penetration 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Colour scheme chosen for festive home products, 2021
- Christmas crackers penetration 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Consumers filling in Christmas crackers themselves, 2021
- Consumers opinion on whether retailers should stop including plastic toys in crackers, 2021
- Whether consumers buy Christmas items decorated with glitter, 2021
- Consumers glitter shopping habits this year versus last year, 2021
- Whether consumers stopped buying Christmas items decorated with glitter, 2021
- Consumers switching to a retailer based on it stopping glitter use, 2021
- Consumers switching to a retailer based on it having glitter on products, 2021
- Christmas advent calendar penetration 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Christmas advent calendar bought for, 2020 & 2021
- Types of products included in Christmas advent calendars, 2020 & 2021
- Party clothing & accessories penetration 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Overall festive items planned/impulse purchases, and by product category, 2020 & 2021
- Overall gift personalisation, and by product category, 2020 & 2021
- Overall items for the home penetration 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Retailers shopped at for items for the home, 2020 & 2021 and ppt change from 2020
- Drivers of items for the home retailer selection, 2021 and ppt change from 2020
- Consumers using each channel for items for the home, 2021 (browsed and purchased)
- Consumers using each store type for items for the home, 2021 (browsed and purchased)
- Consumers using each device for items for the home, 2021 (browsed and purchased)
- Consumers using each fulfilment option for items for the home, 2020 & 2021
- Average spend on items for the home by category, 2021 and £ change from 2020
- Homewares penetration 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Electricals penetration 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Furniture penetration 2021 (by demographic) & 2020 penetration
- Overall items for the home planned/impulse purchases, and by sector, 2020 & 2021
Companies Mentioned (Partial List)
A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes, but is not limited to:
- Adidas
- Aldi
- Amazon
- AO
- Apple
- Argos
- ASDA
- ASOS
- B&M
- B&Q
- boohoo.com
- Boots
- Card Factory
- Clintons
- Co-op
- Currys
- Debenhams
- Decathlon
- DFS
- Disney Store
- Dunelm
- Eve Sleep
- Farmfoods
- Footasylum
- Game
- Goldsmiths
- H. Samuel
- HMV
- Home Bargains
- Homebase
- Iceland
- IKEA
- JD Sports
- JD Williams
- John Lewis & Partners
- Lidl
- Littlewoods
- Lush
- Marks & Spencer
- Matalan
- Morrisons
- New Look
- Next
- Nike
- Oak Furnitureland
- Pandora
- Paperchase
- Poundland
- PrettyLittleThing
- Primark
- Robert Dyas
- Sainsbury's
- Screwfix
- Selfridges
- Smyths Toys
- Snapchat
- Sports Direct
- Superdrug
- Tesco
- The Body Shop
- The Entertainer
- The Jewel Hut
- The Range
- The Works
- Tiffany & Co
- TikTok
- TK Maxx
- Toolstation
- Very
- Waitrose & Partners
- Warren James
- Waterstones
- Wayfair
- WH Smith
- Wilko
- Wordery
- World of Books
- YouTube
