// M&S finds that customers are shopping earlier for Christmas this year
// John Lewis said that many people were planning big family get-togethers
Marks & Spencer has said that customers are Christmas shopping early, with nearly half expected to have finished buying gifts by the end of November.
Meanwhile, John Lewis said that many people were planning big family get-togethers after lockdowns last Christmas.
M&S said that many customers were shopping early and planning ahead, while almost 40 per cent were planning to do more to celebrate Christmas than prior to Covid.
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At least 68 per cent were planning to have a big family Christmas, the retailer added.
John Lewis said customers were “making plans and getting ready earlier than normal”.
Last Christmas there were lockdown restrictions on gatherings, with people in London and Southeast England – the country’s most populous region – only allowed to celebrate with their household and support bubbles.
Both M&S and John Lewis have launched their Christmas adverts slightly earlier than last year to try to entice people to buy from them.
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