A new survey of UK consumers commissioned by logistics provider, GXO Logistics, has revealed that 54% of Brits who plan to shop for Christmas presents this year will use special deal days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday to purchase their gifts. 

The survey explored shopping habits of UK consumers in the run up to Christmas and was conducted by Censuswide with a sample of 2,003 Nationally Representative UK Respondents (aged 16+).

It found on average that British consumers plan to spend £352 on their Christmas shopping this year.

From this research, GXO believe the results highlight notable differences in shopping patterns across various demographic groups.

According to the logistics provider, this insight can enable retailers to tailor deals, promotions and logistics to maximise these different shopping behaviours. 

Gavin Williams, Managing Director, UK and Ireland, GXO, said: “Insight into consumer behaviour during peak shopping periods is essential for our customers to plan successfully to meet demand and ensure a seamless shopping experience.”

 “It also emphasises the need for flexible logistics supply services that can scale up quickly at this key selling period to enable retailers to meet the volume of omnichannel demand predicted.” 

Key survey findings include: 

• This year, shoppers in the UK are planning to spend £352 on average on their Christmas presents, with £195 of that being spent in Black Friday sales events. Brits aged 25-34 are planning to spend £315 through the Black Friday sales, the highest of any age category. 

• 1 in 8 shoppers say they plan to get all or most of their Christmas shopping in the special deal days at the end of the month. 

• 25–34-year-olds are the most likely age category to wait for Black Friday to do their Christmas shopping, with 80% saying they’ll hang on for the special offers from retailers. Whilst only 30% of over 55-year-olds wait for special deal days to buy their presents. 

• The research also found that male Brits put less dependency on Black Friday, with those surveyed saying they are less likely to wait for any special deal days to get their Christmas shopping done this year. 

Martin Newman, The Consumer Champion, commenting on the research said: “With half of Brits relying on Black Friday for Christmas shopping, retailers need to be ready for a significant surge in demand, especially among the 25–34 age group.

“Meeting these expectations with strong stock, smooth logistics, and both online and in-store options will be critical. 

“Equally important is catering to last-minute shoppers - particularly men - by offering reliable delivery, gift-wrapping, and gift card services.

“As 21% of shoppers plan to pick up online orders in-store, and over half value easy returns, retailers must prioritise a seamless omnichannel experience.

“Get these aspects right, and retailers can boost sales and loyalty into the new year.

“The survey also looked at consumer habits throughout the peak period, with a focus on customer expectations across online shopping, specifically deliveries, returns and satisfaction reviews.” 

The report revealed that 37% of customers say their online shopping has increased over the past year.

However, customers still want to see a store presence too, with 21% of shoppers wanting to collect their online shopping in store, showcasing the importance to retailers in offering an omnichannel shopping experience. 

Looking at returns, over half of the consumers surveyed said that the ease of returning products in the peak season significantly affects their purchasing decisions, again showcasing the importance of getting the end-to-end logistics solution right the first time for consumers.  

 The full report is available from GXO Logistics.