New research by Virgin Experience Days, the UK’s leading provider of gift experiences, captures the mood of Brits and how they are feeling towards Christmas this year.
After two disrupted ‘Covid Christmases’, it seems that northerners are still waiting for the festive cheer to kick in: Geordies and people in Edinburgh are looking forward to Christmas the least, with only 39% and 37% respectively more excited than last year.
Londoners on the other hand are already getting into the holiday spirit, with 61% of residents saying they’re looking forward to the festive break more than last year. Birmingham (60%) and Southampton (56%) take second and third spots, highlighting a north/south discrepancy.
If we look at the national map of festive cheer, here are the top Christmassy-feeling cities in the UK: listed in order of those looking forward to Christmas the most:
- London (61%)
- Birmingham (60%)
- Southampton (56%)
- Manchester (54%)
- Nottingham (53%)
- Leeds (52%)
- Cardiff (52%)
- Plymouth (50%)
- Brighton (50%)
- Sheffield (50%)
- Liverpool (50%)
- Norwich (50%)
- Bristol (49%)
- Glasgow (48%)
- Belfast (47%)
- Newcastle (39%)
- Edinburgh (37%)
Most of our money will go towards gifting
The research shines a light on spending habits over the Christmas period. Over half of Brits (58%) say they will reduce their spending on Christmas gifts, while a fifth (21%) plan to spend the same or more. It’s the youngsters that are feeling the impact of rising living costs the most, with just under three-quarters (68%) of those aged 25-34 planning to reduce their spending on Christmas, in contrast to the over 55s where only half (50%) plan to cut back.
Over half of Brits (52%) plan to spend most of their Christmas budget on gifting, followed by Christmas food (34%) and alcohol (14%). Over a third (35%) describe their attitude towards gifting as thoughtful, and a fifth (21%) as generous, showing that despite financial hardship, people still intend to celebrate and show people they care.
Despite expense, positive associations with Christmas shine through
When asked which words people associate Christmas with, the following came up top: expensive (32%), ‘magical’ (31%), ‘happy’ (26%), ‘exciting’ (22%), and ‘sociable’ (17%).
The findings also show how Brits in different cities will celebrate Christmas. Despite feeling a bit downcast about the festive period, people in Edinburgh are most likely to see family on Christmas day, with 61% saying they plan to visit relatives. People in London, Bristol and Cardiff are the least likely to show up at grandma’s house this year, with only 40%, 41% and 41% voting the same.
When asked what types of gifts people will buy loved ones this year, 29% voted warm items of clothing, a quarter (25%) said a food or drink gift, 22% voted for fashion and beauty gifts, and a fifth (20%) voted for days out – meaning a theatre trip, dining experience, family activity, or something similar.
Commenting on the research, Richard Hurd-Wood, CEO of Virgin Experience Days, said: “The pandemic created two very strange Christmases, so it’s no surprise to see many people looking forward to the festive period more than last year – but there are some big regional disparities.
“Despite the cost-of-living crisis, gifting is still a huge priority for people, with most Christmas budgets going towards treating families and friends. This is good news for the economy – and hopefully lots of small businesses and suppliers around the country who rely on Christmas for trade, including our 1,500 suppliers and experience providers.
“At Virgin Experience Days we are committed to helping people find the perfect gift for their loved ones. There is clearly appetite for gifts that allow people to spend time together while we make up for the past two years – especially during Christmas.”
The research was carried out across the UK’s most populous cities, canvassing a nationally representative sample of 2,001 individuals and equally weighted across the cities analysed.