Christmas Shoppers Are Avoiding The High Street And Buying Online To Reduce Stress

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) November 11, 2011 -- A recent report has revealed that this year, UK consumers are not only getting their Christmas shopping done early, they are also avoiding visiting their local high street or shopping centre. It is predicted that the average UK household will spend around £437 on gifts alone this Christmas and that 25.5% of this will be spent buying gifts online.

It is thought that consumers are getting their orders in early to avoid the stress that is often associated with shopping at Christmas. Crowded shops and last minute dashes to find the right gift can raise the stress levels of the best of us so it is not surprising that many of us are choosing to shop from the comfort of our homes. Many seasonal retailers have already reported earlier than usual increases in sales and expect the trend to continue in the run up to Christmas.

Alex Walker, Marketing Manager of online Christmas hampers retailer Virginia Hayward gives his views on the increase. “We have seen our sales of Christmas hampers and gifts steadily increase year on year but this year we’ve had people placing orders for Christmas as early as August.”

It is also being speculated that the increase in the cost of fuel is hitting the wallets of the average family. Rather than spending money on travelling and reducing their budget for gifts, most consumers are choosing to spend the same amount from home and reduce their fuel costs.

“I can definitely see why people would choose to buy online over visiting the shops. It makes sense to let the retailer deal with the costs associated with travel, plus it is more convenient and easy to do.” Alex adds.

The Virginia Hayward range of Christmas hampers is currently available for sale on the company's website with the majority of items available for delivery until the 22nd December 2011.

Christmas     christmas shopping     shopping online