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Majority (83%) plan to spend less or the same this Christmas as last year
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Third (31%) of Brits worried about Christmas supply chain issues with 30% stockpiling in October to avoid disappointment
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Overall, 38% of Brits do not feel confident that it will be safe to travel during the festive period
Research carried out by Momentive (formerly SurveyMonkey), a leader in agile experience management, exploring consumers’ concerns and expectations regarding Christmas shopping and travel plans, reveals that over half (57%) of UK adults don’t plan to travel this Christmas, with a third (31%) cancelling their Christmas plans entirely due to COVID-19 uncertainty and concerns around safety.
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Uncertainty causing many to cancel Christmas travel plans
With over 79.2% of the population over the age of 12 having received their second dose of the vaccines, the UK is in a very different situation compared to the lead-up to Christmas 2020. The research shows that the number of people cancelling their plans entirely has halved from last year: 31% in 2021 compared to 63% in 2020. This still accounts for almost a third of people who don’t feel confident that the COVID-19 situation will be safe enough to enjoy the Christmas they had planned. It seems the government’s assurances that the UK will have a “normal Christmas” aren’t translating into increased confidence, with nearly half (47%) expecting to modify their Christmas travel plans, nearly double the 25% from last year. Overall, 38% of Brits do not feel confident that it will be safe to travel during the Christmas period.
Supply chain concerns sparking October Christmas shopping spree
Nearly a third (31%) of UK adults are worried that supply chain issues will affect their Christmas purchases. Concern is greater among younger age groups (18- to 34-year-olds), with 43% saying they are worried, compared with 31% of 35- to 64-year-olds and 17% of 65-year-olds and above. Despite 29% of Brits saying they don’t plan on doing any Christmas shopping this year, an equal number (30%) plan on starting their Christmas shopping this year in October.
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Brits tightening their belt this Christmas
The majority of Brits (83%) plan on spending less or the same amount as last Christmas, when many had pared back or had solitary Christmas celebrations. Over a third (36%) plan to spend less on Christmas in general, with nearly half (47%) planning to stick to their 2020 spending level, and only a minority (13%) plan on spending more.
“The pandemic has highlighted the opportunity for companies to reach consumers in new ways. With supply chain lags and ongoing disruption for the travel industry, it’s critical that organizations ensure they’re offering a great customer experience whether it’s in-store, online or a hybrid of the two,” says Graham Douglas, Managing Director EMEA at Momentive. “By asking what could be improved or what went wrong with a delivery, product, service or interaction for instance, brands can innovate alongside customer wants and needs to stay competitive.”
Methodology
This Momentive study was conducted between October 6-19, 2021 among a national sample of 1,354 UK adults. Respondents for this survey were selected from the more than 2 million people who take surveys on our platform each day. The modeled error estimate for this survey is plus or minus 4 percentage points. Data have been weighted for age, sex, education, and geography using the Office for National Statistics’ 2010 Census to reflect the demographic composition of the United Kingdom age 18 and over.