Research shows pre-Christmas shopping on the cards

Brits are not waiting for Christmas to get spending at the shops. New research by intu shows the majority of British adults have a full shopping list to complete before the end of November – and what they are planning to buy often depends on where they live.

Following reports of resurgent consumer confidence in recent months, the new research from intu asked a representative sample of more than 3,000 adults what they planned to buy in the 3-month period to the end of November. The figures offer a snapshot on tomorrow’s shopping trends and a measure of underlying consumer confidence.

Trevor Pereira, commercial director at intu, commented: “Our latest research gives an in-depth look into how people are planning to spend their money in the next few months. It gives us an early indication of a confident consumer outlook which should translate into active shopping before we get to the usual, busy Christmas period. Planned purchases vary more by region than income and it’s interesting that many people place great importance on treats – those small rewards at the end of the week or month that add real colour to people’s lives and leisure.”

When it came to major or luxury purchases for the next few months, it was leisure clothes, bags and that special pair of shoes that topped the UK’s shopping list.

The small things that matter: More than three in four of people (78%) planned to buy themselves small treats and a further 75% planned to buy a book – with in-store browsing proving more popular than the convenience of online shopping (as was the case for 11 out of the 17 shopping categories surveyed).

Regions: Regardless of earnings or age it is where consumers live that more often than not determines what they will be hunting for in the shops ahead of the Christmas frenzy.

· London – People here were the most likely to be heading to the shops for shoes, bags, a special outfit, perfume and beauty products.

· North West – In this region people were most likely to be planning a purchase for the home, the kitchen and toys for the children.

· West Midlands – People in the West Midlands were those most likely to be planning to buy home tech items, film/ music before Christmas. They were also most likely to have jewellery on their shopping list.

· South West – Despite the onset of autumn, DIY and gardening purchases were most prevalent among shoppers in the South West.

· East of England – People in the East were those most likely to be planning purchases that related to hobbies and crafts.

Age group: The younger generation (aged 18-24) were much more likely to go to a shopping centre to treat themselves to a new book (82%) or film and music (78%) – which is surprising for the download generation of Kindles and iPads. This age group of shoppers were also the most likely to go shopping for home tech in the coming months.

Household income: The research also suggests that planned purchases are not simply a case of affordability or disposable wealth. Looking at a range of planned purchases – from small treats, home furnishings and leisure clothes, to more luxury items such as perfume, cosmetics and home tech – the proportion of people planning to make purchases was broadly even across income groups ranging from those earning £10,000 a year to those more than £70,000.

This new piece of research precedes the major report from intu which reappraises consumer leisure habits, exploring the types of leisure trips people enjoy, the role of a shopping centre as a leisure destination, how shopping habits are changing – the evolving impact of technology on modern shopping behaviour