Last-minute dash: Christmas Eve shopping research reveals who will be pounding the pavements today

A nationwide study from The Green Insurer reveals that the UK will spend around £3.1 billion on the last shopping day before Christmas.

The research found that nearly one in five UK adults (19 per cent) claim they will still be doing some of their Christmas shopping on December 24.

The last-minute Christmas Eve spend represents around 9 per cent of the total £36.2 billion anticipated to be spent on celebrating Christmas by the nation this year. This multi-billion pound figure contains all festive expenditure and includes money spent on gifts, food and travelling costs to see family and friends, equating to an average spend of around £725 per person.

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The research reveals that men are more likely to make a last-minute dash to the shops than women, with nearly a quarter of men interviewed believing they would not have completed all their Christmas shopping by Christmas Eve, compared with fewer than one in five (17 per cent) women.

There is an even more marked divide between the different age groups, with more than two in five

18–24 year olds saying they would still be shopping on Christmas Eve, compared with just 4 per cent of over 65s.

Paul Baxter, CEO, The Green Insurer, said: “Christmas Eve may fall on a Sunday this year, but despite the shorter opening hours, shops will see millions of pounds spent at their checkouts as people look to buy last minute gifts or food purchases for the next day’s celebrations.

“Aside from busy schedules, another contributing factor is the allure of last-minute high street deals and discounts in a year where many people have struggled to keep pace with the rising cost of living.

Some individuals intentionally delay their Christmas shopping in anticipation of sales and price

reductions that typically occur as retailers try to clear their inventory before the holiday season

concludes.”

Up to 70 companies have partnered with The Green Insurer to offer rewards and discounts including

ASDA, Tesco, Sainsbury’s Waitrose, Iceland and Morrisons plus retailers Clarks, Harvey Nichols,

Halfords, Habitat and Waterstone’s as well as restaurant chains Zizzi, Ask Italian and Café Rouge. On

a weekly supermarket shop of £200. it says a 6 per cent discount would be worth more than £600 a year.

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