A new survey has indicated that consumers are getting their Christmas shopping out of the way sooner in the hope of finding cut-price deals.
According to the latest Intersperience Christmas Shopping Survey, shoppers are planning to spend an average of £307 per head over the impending festive period – up from £300 in 2010 – with over-25s set to splash out £25 per person more than they did last year.
However, the poll also found that 46 per cent of participants did not intend to do their festive shopping over the internet, with one in six presents ordered online last Christmas failing to arrive on time. One in ten consumers, meanwhile, reported receiving incorrect online orders.
“There is a general disappointment with online service that is a hangover from last year and it is affecting people’s plans for Christmas,” said Intersperience chief executive Paul Hudson. “The more general question is whether online sales are actually falling short of what they should be if service was better.”
The findings came after British Retail Consortium director-general Stephen Robertson admitted that many retailers are hoping for a “lifeline” this Christmas.
