// New data suggests UK shoppers begin Christmas search as early as August
// Wowcher saw a year-on-year increase of 194% in the search term ‘Christmas gifts’ in August
New data has revealed that UK consumers are beginning their Christmas shopping as early as August.
The data was released by e-commerce platform Wowcher which reviewed its 2019 search data and found a year-on-year increase of 194 per cent in the search term “Christmas gifts” during the month of August alone.
Wowcher’s sales data demonstrated a similar trend as in August, year on year sales volume of advent calendars grew significantly, with total sales of units rising by 243 per cent.
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“In the past there was a very clear seasonal sales period consisting of Black Friday, Christmas and Boxing Day,” Wowcher head of marketing Alexis Harrison said.
“Today, our data illustrates huge customer appetite well before what would usually be considered the ‘traditional’ Christmas retail period.”
Luxury advent calendars offering products such as jewellery were the top seller in its category.
The 24-Day Swarovski crystal jewellery calendar sold 11, 293 units in total, with Wowcher customers purchasing nearly 2 units per minute at its peak.
“Such change is likely to be in response to the economic uncertainty felt right across the UK as we see shoppers increasingly planning ahead for Christmas,” Harrison said.
“Yet, despite such instability consumers are reluctant to give up their luxuries, and we’re seeing savvy shoppers looking to bag the best deals possible early on.”
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