Xero Australia
- Australia is a nation of self spoilers, with one in three looking to buy Christmas gifts for themselves after a challenging year
- Pandemic influencing shoppers who are consciously keeping their finances under control
MELBOURNE — 10 December, 2020 — Xero, the global small business platform, today released new research which uncovers the different traits of Aussie shoppers ahead of this year's festive season, which will be unlike any before it due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The research reveals insights into who's top of our gift lists, how much cash we're willing to splash and when and where we're planning to purchase.
The Xero survey of 1,000 respondents analysed Aussies' Christmas shopping intentions and behaviours, and their sentiment towards purchasing from small businesses for their gifting needs, providing insight into how the pandemic might be influencing shoppers.
While the majority of Australians are planning to buy presents for their significant others (62% of respondents), one-third of respondents (33%) have someone else on the top of their Christmas list – themselves. Generation Z are the most likely to fall in the Self Spoilers category, with half (52%) of the respondents aged 18 to 24 years living by the 'treat yourself' philosophy.
Angus Capel, Small Business Advocate, Xero said: "We're seeing how important self-love is to a large number of Australians, particularly for the younger generations – many of whom were out of work during lockdowns. The survey suggests Australians are looking to this Christmas as the perfect time to treat themselves after the challenging year that was."
The most common type of Aussie shopper we can expect this festive season is the Cost-Conscious Consumer, with almost two-thirds (63%) saying they have a set budget for Christmas shopping this year. The average budget is somewhere between $300 and $500 for almost one in four (23%), while one in five (20%) are planning to limit their budget to a total average of $150 to $300.
A large number of Australians fall into the Passionate Planners category, those who take a calculated approach to festive shopping. Two in five Aussies (40%) start thinking about what gifts to buy a month before Christmas, with as many as 18% starting to plan from the middle of the year. Half of the survey respondents (50%) have a clear plan of what to get before heading to a shopping centre, leaving little to chance.
"We've all witnessed the last-minute dashers make their way to the shops on Christmas Eve to get their final few presents, but the research has revealed they could be far and few between this year. It appears Aussies are making their lists and checking them twice, helping them to be more organised and to keep their finances under control,"
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