The analyst Retail Christmas 2024 report forms part of the Retail Occasions series, and offers a comprehensive overview of the major retail occasion of Christmas, analysing the market, the major players, the main trends and consumer attitudes.
The proportion of UK consumers spending on Christmas increased by 2.1ppts to reach 87.8% in 2024. Although this figure is still below 2019 levels due to the ongoing impact of the cost-of-living crisis, it has gradually improved over the past three years in conjunction with improving consumer sentiment.
The proportion of UK consumers spending on Christmas increased by 2.1ppts to reach 87.8% in 2024. Although this figure is still below 2019 levels due to the ongoing impact of the cost-of-living crisis, it has gradually improved over the past three years in conjunction with improving consumer sentiment.
Key Highlights
- The proportion of UK consumers spending on Christmas increased by 2.1ppts to reach 87.8% in 2024.
- 34.8% of consumers began Christmas shopping earlier this year than last year.
- Seasonal food & drink uptake has reached an all-time high in 2024, with 82.6% of Christmas shoppers purchasing this category.
Reasons to Buy
- Find out what categories consumers prioritised and cut back on for Christmas 2024.
- 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.
- Discover how competitor retailers faired across various Christmas categories in 2024, to discover areas of strengths and of improvements across Christmas ranges.
Table of Contents
- KEY FINDINGS
- The key findings
- Christmas shopper more confident to splurge this Christmas
- Consumers started their Christmas shopping earlier this year
- Marks & Spencer’s innovation in food & drink will force competitors to follow suit
- Trend insight - stores
- Trend insight - online
- CONSUMER ATTITUDES
- Buying dynamics
- Financial wellbeing
- Christmas spending
- Financial spending
- Christmas statements
- Retailer selection
- Retailer ratings - grocers
- Retailer ratings - non-food retailers
- Christmas stockings
- Secret Santa
- Secret Santa family participation
- Christmas returns
- Secondhand Christmas items
- Retailer drivers by category
- SEASONAL FOOD & DRINK
- Buying dynamics
- Retailer selection
- Channel usage
- Store type
- Device usage
- Fulfilment
- Spending
- Buying dynamics
- Planned/impulse
- GIFTING
- Buying dynamics
- Retailer selection
- Channel usage
- Store type
- Device usage
- Fulfilment
- Spending
- Buying dynamics
- Planned/impulse
- Personalisation
- Secondhand gifts
- Gifts purchased seen/promoted on social media
- Regifting
- FESTIVE ITEMS
- Buying dynamics
- Retailer selection
- Channel usage
- Store type
- Device usage
- Fulfilment
- Spending
- Buying dynamics
- Advent calendar recipients
- Advent calendar types
- Buying dynamics
- Planned/impulse
- Personalisation
- ITEMS FOR THE HOME
- Buying dynamics
- Retailer selection
- Channel usage
- Store type
- Device usage
- Fulfilment
- Spending
- Buying dynamics
- Planned/impulse
- METHODOLOGY
- Technical details: consumer survey work
- Retailer ratings across key measures - grocers, 2024
- Retailer ratings across key measures - non-food retailers, 2024
- Christmas gift categories consumers plan to return, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased secondhand by Christmas shoppers (%), 2024
- Percentage point change retailer shopped at for seasonal food & drink (2023-2024)
- Percentage point change retailer most shopped at for seasonal food & drink (2023-2024)
- Percentage point change retailer consumers switched to for seasonal food & drink (2023-2024)
- Products purchased - Christmas sweet products, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - Christmas savoury products, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - meat, fish and free from alternatives, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - fruit & vegetables, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - alcoholic beverages, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - frozen foods, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - non-alcoholic beverages, 2024
- Products bought on impulse - seasonal food & drink, 2023 & 2024
- Percentage point change retailer shopped at for gifts (2023-2024)
- Products purchased - clothing & accessories, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - clothing & accessories, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - food gifts, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - food gifts, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - health & beauty, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - health & beauty, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - alcohol gifts, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - alcohol gifts, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - books, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - books, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - toys & games, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - toys & games, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - footwear, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - footwear, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - homewares, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - homewares, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - money, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - stationery, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - stationery, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - vouchers & gift cards, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - electricals, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - electricals, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - leather goods, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - leather goods, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - music & video, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - music & video, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - experiences, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - sports, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - sports, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - fine jewellery and watches, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - fine jewellery and watches, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - computers, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - computers, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - garden items, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - garden items, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - DIY, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - DIY, 2023 & 2024
- Products bought on impulse - gifts, 2023 & 2024
- Products personalisation - gifts, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - secondhand gifts, 2023 & 2024
- Social media platforms used, 2023 & 2024
- Product categories regifted, 2024
- Percentage point change retailer shopped at for festive items (2023-2024)
- Products purchased - Christmas wrapping & cards, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - Christmas wrapping & cards, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - Christmas trees & decorations, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - Christmas trees & decorations, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - festive home products, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - festive home products, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - Christmas advent calendar, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - Christmas crackers, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - Christmas partywear, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - Christmas partywear, 2023 & 2024
- Products bought on impulse - festive items, 2023 & 2024
- Products personalisation - festive items, 2023 & 2024
- Percentage point change retailer shopped at for items for the home (2023-2024)
- Products purchased - homewares, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - homewares, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - electricals, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - electricals, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - furniture, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - furniture, 2023 & 2024
- Products bought on impulse - items for the home, 2023 & 2024
- Christmas 2024 shopper penetration (by demographic and by region) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Christmas shopper profile (by demographic & by region), 2024
- Christmas 2024 retail shopper penetration (by demographic and by region)
- Christmas 2024 leisure shopper penetration (by demographic and by region)
- When consumers started their Christmas shopping, 2023 & 2024
- Did consumers start their Christmas shopping earlier this year (by demographic), 2024
- Reasons why consumers started Christmas shopping earlier, 2024
- Financial wellbeing compared to last year, 2023 & 2024
- Consumers' Christmas spending compared to last year, 2023 & 2024
- Priorities in different categories for Christmas spend, 2024
- How consumers financed Christmas spending, 2023 & 2024
- Agreement statements about Christmas, 2024 and ppt change on 2023
- Success of retailers at promoting or communicating Christmas deals, 2024
- Christmas stockings received penetration 2024 (by demographic and by region) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Christmas stockings given penetration 2024 (by demographic and by region) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Christmas stockings average spend, 2023 & 2024
- Christmas stockings bought, 2023 & 2024
- Secret Santa penetration 2024 (by demographic and by region) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Secret Santa budget, 2023 & 2024
- Secret Santa bought for, 2023 & 2024
- Secret Santa budget spending patterns, 2023 & 2024
- Why consumers are taking part in a family Secret Santa this year, 2024
- Do consumers often take part in a family Secret Santa, 2024
- Christmas returns penetration 2024 (by demographic and by region) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Number of Christmas returns 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 overall
- Reasons for returning Christmas presents, 2024 and ppt change on 2023
- Christmas secondhand purchase penetration 2024 (by demographic)
- Reasons for shopping secondhand, 2024
- Reasons for not shopping secondhand, 2024
- What's driving retailer selection - summary, 2024
- Overall food and drink penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Retailers shopped at for seasonal food and drink, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers most shopped at for seasonal food and drink, 2023 & 2024
- Drivers of food & drink retailer selection, 2024 and ppt change on 2023
- Consumers switching from their usual main retailer, 2024 by demographic & 2022, 2023 overall
- Top 10 retailers consumers switched to, 2023 & 2024
- Reasons for switching main retailer, 2024 and ppt change on 2023
- Consumers using each channel for purchasing seasonal food and drink, 2023 & 2024
- Consumers using each store type for purchasing seasonal food and drink, 2023 & 2024
- Consumers using each device for seasonal food and drink purchases, 2023 & 2024
- Fulfilment options for seasonal food and drink purchases made online, 2023 & 2024
- Average spend on seasonal food and non-alcoholic beverages by retailer, 2024 and £ change on 2023
- Average spend on seasonal alcoholic beverages by retailer, 2024 and £ change on 2023
- Christmas sweet products 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Christmas savoury products 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Meat, fish and free from alternatives 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Fruit & vegetables 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Alcoholic beverages 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Frozen foods 2024 (by demographic)
- Non-alcoholic beverages 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Overall seasonal food & drink planned/impulse purchases, 2024
- Overall gift penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Retailers shopped at for gifts, 2023 & 2024
- Drivers of gifts retailer selection, 2024 & ppt change on 2023
- Consumers using each channel for purchasing Christmas gifts, 2023 & 2024
- Consumers using store type for purchasing Christmas gifts, 2023 & 2024
- Consumers using each device for Christmas gift shopping purchases, 2023 & 2024
- Fulfilment options for Christmas gift purchases made online, 2023 & 2024
- How consumers gave presents, 2023 & 2024
- Average spend on Christmas gifts by product category, 2024 and £ change on 2023
- Who consumers bought Christmas gifts for, 2024 and ppt change on 2023
- Clothing & accessories penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Food gifts penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Health & beauty penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Alcohol gifts penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Books penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Toys & games penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Views regarding gifting plastic toys, 2023 & 2024
- Footwear penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Homewares penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Money penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Stationery penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Voucher & gift cards penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Electricals penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Leather goods penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Music & video penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Experiences penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Sports penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Fine jewellery & watches penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Computers penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Garden items penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- DIY penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Overall gift planned/impulse purchases, 2024
- Overall gift personalisation, 2024
- Secondhand gifts penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Channel usage for secondhand gift purchasing, 2023 & 2024
- Reasons for purchasing/not purchasing secondhand gifts, 2024 and ppt change on 2023
- Gifts purchased seen/promoted on social media penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Regifting penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Reasons for regifting, 2024 and ppt change on 2023
- Who consumers regifted to, 2024 and ppt change on 2023
- Overall festive items penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Retailers shopped at for festive items, 2023 & 2024
- Drivers of retailer selection for festive items, 2024 and ppt change on 2023
- Consumers using each channel for festive item purchases, 2023 & 2024
- Consumers using each store type for festive item purchases, 2023 & 2024
- Consumers using each device for festive item purchases, 2023 & 2024
- Fulfilment options for festive item purchases made online, 2023 & 2024
- Average spend on festive items, 2024 and £ change on 2023
- Christmas wrapping & cards penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Types of gift bags purchased, 2023 & 2024
- Christmas trees and decorations penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Christmas tree purchasing dynamics, by real & artificial trees, 2024
- Artificial Christmas tree replacement by number of years, 2024
- Bulb count on Christmas lights purchased by internal & external, 2024
- Bulb colour of Christmas lights purchased by internal & external, 2024
- Festive home products penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Colour scheme chosen for festive home products, 2023 & 2024
- Christmas advent calendar penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Christmas advent calendar bought for, 2023 & 2024
- Types of products included in Christmas advent calendars, 2023 & 2024
- Christmas crackers penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Consumers filling in Christmas crackers themselves, 2023 & 2024
- Consumers' opinion on whether retailers should stop including plastic toys in crackers, 2023 & 2024
- Christmas partywear penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Overall festive items planned/impulse purchases, 2024
- Overall festive items personalisation, 2024
- Overall items for the home penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Retailers shopped at for items for the home, 2023 & 2024
- Drivers of items for the home retailer selection, 2024 and ppt change from 2023
- Consumers using each channel for items for the home, 2023 & 2024
- Consumers using each store type for items for the home, 2023 & 2024
- Consumers using each device for items for the home, 2023 & 2024
- Consumers using each fulfilment option for items for the home, 2023 & 2024
- Average spend on items for the home by category, 2024 and £ change from 2023
- Homewares penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Electricals penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Furniture penetration 2024 (by demographic) & 2022, 2023 penetration
- Overall items for the home planned/impulse purchases, 2024
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
- B&M
- B&Q
- Boots
- Card Factory
- Clintons
- Co-op
- Currys
- Dunelm
- Emma Mattresses
- Eve Sleep
- Google Play
- H. Samuel
- Home Bargains
- Homebase
- Iceland
- IKEA
- JD Sports
- John Lewis & Partners
- Laptops Direct
- Lidl
- Littlewoods
- Loaf
- Lululemon
- Marks & Spencer
- Matalan
- Morrisons
- Next
- Nike
- Oak Furniture Land
- Pandora
- Poundland
- Primark
- Sainsbury's
- Screwfix
- Shein
- Smyths Toys
- Sports Direct
- Superdrug
- Swarovski
- Temu
- Tesco
- The Body Shop
- The Entertainer
- The Perfume Shop
- The Range
- The Works
- Tiffany & Co.
- TK Maxx
- Under Armour
- Very
- Waitrose & Partners
- Warren James
- Waterstones
- WH Smith
- Zara
- Zavvi.com