Continued Growth for Gifts

More than 700 million gifts, valued at £19.3 billion, were purchased in Britain in the run up to Christmas 2002, according to new research published by Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS).

The findings from TNS GiftTrak, covering the period October to December 2002, show that nearly four out of five gifts (79 per cent) purchased during this period were for Christmas. One third (32 per cent) of all gifts purchased in October, three-quarters (74 per cent) of all gifts in November and more than nine out of ten (93 per cent) gifts in December 2002 were purchased as Christmas presents. This shows that a significant proportion of consumers purchase their Christmas gifts early, with a third (33 per cent) purchased before 1st December - the traditional 'last dash' to buy presents.

The value of the gift market has shown a steady increase in the last couple of years rising by £487 million between 2001 and 2002. Similarly, the average spend per Christmas gift has increased over this period from £27.27 in 2001 to £30.30 in 2002 - a rise of 11 per cent.

Differences between the cost of gifts purchased by men and women remain, with men tending to pay more per gift - £39.88 per item versus £24.28 for females. However, women buy a significantly greater number of presents - typically just over 10 gifts (10.3) during the four weeks before Christmas, compared to an average of less than seven gifts (6.8) for men.

People aged 35-44 years-old spend most per gift - on average £35.85 per present. Yet, people aged 16-24 spend more than those aged 55-plus - on average £28.48 compared to just £23.03.

The nation's favourite gifts purchased during the Christmas period are toys and games, accounting for 15 per cent of all Christmas gifts bought. Other top categories include toiletries and cosmetics (nine per cent) and women's clothing (nine per cent).

Alex Seron, Senior Research Executive, Taylor Nelson Sofres commented: 'Despite Britain experiencing a tougher economic environment in recent months, our data shows that levels of Christmas gift purchasing have remained fairly stable. However, Christmas is a key event for everyone and it remains to be seen if other key 'gifting' events such as Valentine's Day, Mother's Day or Easter will be affected as a result. Last year, the number of gifts purchased for Valentine's increased significantly - from 10.7 to 12.9 million gifts and the market is now valued at £213 million. In view of the marketing initiatives already in place in stores, restaurants and bars to promote this event, it is unlikely that many men - who account for two thirds of all Valentine's gifts purchased - will be returning home empty handed. However, in order to sustain gift spending throughout the year it will be important for manufacturing and retail outlets to market their products effectively, to a wide audience.'

TNS GiftTrak, a continuous gift purchasing survey, conducts interviews with a representative sample of 50,000 respondents aged 16 plus per year. It records detailed information on gift purchasing including average spend, retail outlet, method of purchase and gift occasion.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.

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