Exclusive research for The Grocer reveals how consumers will be spending their money this Christmas. Liz Hamson reports
Shoppers plan to spend just as much this Christmas as they did last yuletide and Tesco is their number one choice of supermarket to spend it in, according to a Christmas survey carried out exclusively for The Grocer.
The survey, conducted on-line between November 12 and 17 by market researcher HI Europe, reveals that two thirds of UK consumers are planning to make merry this Christmas with an average spend of £565.80 on festive shopping. Almost a quarter say they plan to spend less than last Christmas and 10% that they plan to spend more.
Tesco emerges the clear festive favourite. Almost a third say they do their main shop there compared with just a fifth who go to Asda. Similarly, almost a third of those who do not normally shop at Tesco go out of their way to visit it over the holiday period. Shoppers also give the thumbs up to Morrisons, which outranks Safeway, a chain twice its size, both as a main shopping destination and in the best in class categories.
Given their market shares, Sainsbury and Safeway each punch way below their weight in best of class - performing particularly weakly in the food and drink categories. However, while Tesco is the top supermarket for food and drink, it lags Asda for toys and games, Christmas household items and non-food ideas. A surprising 42% prefer to buy gifts and non-food items from non traditional channels such as the internet.
The survey also highlights a marked difference in the average consumer spend with each retailer. Sainsbury shoppers each spent £629.70 on average last Christmas,
while Tesco shoppers spent around £25 less at £539.70. Consumers’ Association principal policy advisor Phil Evans says that the difference underscores the dominance of the EDLP players, but also points to continuing problems for the mid-market operators Sainsbury and Safeway.
“The differences between table positions and market shares are almost a measure of aspiration,” he says. “It seems that more people think that Asda, Tesco and Morrisons are good for food than actually shop there.
“If I were Sainsbury, I’d be extremely worried. It doesn’t seem to come out well, particularly in alcohol. I would expect the results to be in line with market share, but it’s quite a bit lower. Yet Morrisons is way ahead of its market share in certain categories, coming out with a 15% vote for food against a market share of 6%.”
Evans argues that the pressure next year will be on the players caught between the mass and niche upmarket operators.
He adds that the multiples will be disappointed that, despite their push into non-food, they are losing out to other types of retailer. “The thing that strikes me most is the rise of the use of the internet for gifts,” he says. “That said, Asda’s position among the supermarkets is high in non-food - in toys and games it is way ahead.”
A gulf between consumer expectation and behaviour has emerged - especially over when to start Christmas shopping, says HI Europe business development director Tracy Thorne.“Despite two people in 10 intending to start their Christmas food shopping earlier this year, only about one in 10 say they began their shopping before November,” she says.
“Morrisons’ customers are most likely to have made an early start in September or October, while Sainsbury shoppers are most likely to leave their Christmas food shopping until closer to Christmas.”
The survey also dispels the myth that men leave their shopping until the last minute. Almost half the respondents were male and only 1% of those surveyed say they start shopping on Christmas Eve.
Nevertheless, our survey confirms every retailers’ nightmare: the vast majority of shoppers will be leaving their shopping until the last two weeks leading up to Christmas.
Equally worrying for those hoping for bumper sales over the festive season is the fact that the survey reveals that just 10% of consumers expect to spend more than they did last Christmas.
Shoppers plan to spend just as much this Christmas as they did last yuletide and Tesco is their number one choice of supermarket to spend it in, according to a Christmas survey carried out exclusively for The Grocer.
The survey, conducted on-line between November 12 and 17 by market researcher HI Europe, reveals that two thirds of UK consumers are planning to make merry this Christmas with an average spend of £565.80 on festive shopping. Almost a quarter say they plan to spend less than last Christmas and 10% that they plan to spend more.
Tesco emerges the clear festive favourite. Almost a third say they do their main shop there compared with just a fifth who go to Asda. Similarly, almost a third of those who do not normally shop at Tesco go out of their way to visit it over the holiday period. Shoppers also give the thumbs up to Morrisons, which outranks Safeway, a chain twice its size, both as a main shopping destination and in the best in class categories.
Given their market shares, Sainsbury and Safeway each punch way below their weight in best of class - performing particularly weakly in the food and drink categories. However, while Tesco is the top supermarket for food and drink, it lags Asda for toys and games, Christmas household items and non-food ideas. A surprising 42% prefer to buy gifts and non-food items from non traditional channels such as the internet.
The survey also highlights a marked difference in the average consumer spend with each retailer. Sainsbury shoppers each spent £629.70 on average last Christmas,
while Tesco shoppers spent around £25 less at £539.70. Consumers’ Association principal policy advisor Phil Evans says that the difference underscores the dominance of the EDLP players, but also points to continuing problems for the mid-market operators Sainsbury and Safeway.
“The differences between table positions and market shares are almost a measure of aspiration,” he says. “It seems that more people think that Asda, Tesco and Morrisons are good for food than actually shop there.
“If I were Sainsbury, I’d be extremely worried. It doesn’t seem to come out well, particularly in alcohol. I would expect the results to be in line with market share, but it’s quite a bit lower. Yet Morrisons is way ahead of its market share in certain categories, coming out with a 15% vote for food against a market share of 6%.”
Evans argues that the pressure next year will be on the players caught between the mass and niche upmarket operators.
He adds that the multiples will be disappointed that, despite their push into non-food, they are losing out to other types of retailer. “The thing that strikes me most is the rise of the use of the internet for gifts,” he says. “That said, Asda’s position among the supermarkets is high in non-food - in toys and games it is way ahead.”
A gulf between consumer expectation and behaviour has emerged - especially over when to start Christmas shopping, says HI Europe business development director Tracy Thorne.“Despite two people in 10 intending to start their Christmas food shopping earlier this year, only about one in 10 say they began their shopping before November,” she says.
“Morrisons’ customers are most likely to have made an early start in September or October, while Sainsbury shoppers are most likely to leave their Christmas food shopping until closer to Christmas.”
The survey also dispels the myth that men leave their shopping until the last minute. Almost half the respondents were male and only 1% of those surveyed say they start shopping on Christmas Eve.
Nevertheless, our survey confirms every retailers’ nightmare: the vast majority of shoppers will be leaving their shopping until the last two weeks leading up to Christmas.
Equally worrying for those hoping for bumper sales over the festive season is the fact that the survey reveals that just 10% of consumers expect to spend more than they did last Christmas.
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