christmas survey 2017 what will christmas have in store ......christmas survey 2017 what will...

Christmas survey 2017 What will Christmas have in store for Belgians this year?

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Belgians spend less online compared to Europeans 5

Will there still be a Christmas rush this December? 5

Which gifts will be high on Santa’s list? 6

Shop according to age not income 6

Stuck for gift ideas? 6

Are consumers buying gifts on or offline? 6

How can retailers improve the customer experience? 7 Lower prices.

What’s the best way to reach consumers? 7 Be available everywhere, anytime

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XMAS Report 2017 What will Christmas have in store for Belgians this year?

Are consumers confident in this current economy? Well, mostly yes. Belgians are regaining optimism compared to last year, especially when it comes to their spending power.

This is good news. And although Belgians continue to be more cautious than their European counterparts, young people and men are clearly more enthusiastic about the economy than women and the elderly.

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XMAS Report 2017 What will Christmas have in store for Belgians this year?

Christmas is still the season to eat, drink and give giftsLargely the same as last year. In fact, Belgian households intend to spend the same amount on year-end festivities as they did last year (432 EUR instead of 430 EUR). This is a little less than the average European who will spend 445 EUR. As in previous years, most of the Christmas budget will be devoted to gifts and food and drinks. It clearly confi rms the trend observed in the past few years across all European countries that people enjoy sharing Christmas dinner together and exchanging gifts.


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Belgians spend less online compared to EuropeansEven though gifts may not be in the true spirit of Christmas, gift giving is high on the agenda. Belgians expect to spend 27% of their budget online which is only a small increase compared to last year (25%) and much lower than the average European (36%). By comparison, in the UK and Germany, half of the gift budget is spent online.

Will there still be a Christmas rush this December? Unfortunately, yes. Once again, Belgians will do most of their gift shopping in December so expect the Christmas rush in shops leading up to the big day. However, there is a willingness to plan ahead and there will be more purchases in November compared to last year, especially among women.

Socialising

Traveling

Food and drinks

Gifts197

144

55

36 Socialising

Traveling

Food and drinks

Gifts194

144

60

32

20162017

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

4,9%

19,5%

34,1%30%

6,1%2,6% 2,6%

InNovember

From December1 to 15



In and after January

During special sales events

BeforeNovember

XmasDec. 25


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Which gifts will be high on Santa’s list? Cash is king again this year and tops the list as the gift most preferred by Belgians. As a matter a fact, Belgian consumers’ TOP10 preferences has remained exactly the same as in 2016:

1. Money (cash)2. Books3. Gift vouchers4. Restaurants5. Travel6. Clothes/shoes7. Cosmetics/Perfumes8. Beauty care, massage, spa treatment9. CD10. Smartphone and cell phones

Even though these items have made the list, in general the appeal for these gifts is waning as less Belgians have specified them as their most wanted gifts. Indeed, it’s common knowledge that men and women have very different tastes, but it’s glaringly obvious in their respective Christmas wish lists. While men opt for travel and smartphones, women fancy cosmetics/perfumes and beauty care, massages or spa treatments.

Shop according to age not incomeSurprisingly, income level makes no difference in what a person likes to receive. However, age does. Not surprisingly, money (cash) is the top choice for adults younger than 55 while it’s only the fifth choice for the elderly. The latest gadgets and IT-related products (laptop/PC, video games, smartphones) is hot among the young while the elderly would be happy to receive food-related gifts (restaurants, food and drink, chocolates). Europeans also include money (cash) as their first choice but this is less obvious than in Belgium. What’s more, receiving chocolates is one of the first choice of Europeans. Guess Belgians are spoiled by their world-renown chocolate.

Stuck for gift ideas? You’ll be safe if you stick close to the TOP10 list, which stays mainly the same with the exception of gift cards that have replaced CDs. If there’s nothing on the TOP10 that your family or friends would love, why not try chocolates, food and drinks, gift cards and gift boxes for adults, which are among the TOP20 things many Belgians would like. Let’s face it, you can’t really go wrong with tasty treats.

Of course, we can’t forget the little ones. After all, Christmas is for kids. Model construction toys will be the most highly-anticipated gift under the tree this year, followed by educational toys and books. For the teenagers in your life, money will put a smile on their face, followed by video games and books.

Are consumers buying gifts on or offline? Actually, both. Each has its own advantages. For the more traditional who enjoy going to the shops, they choose offline shopping because of security (Protection of my personal data, Trusted payment methods), Services (Exchange and Returns Policies, After-sale service, Competent and professional advice, Quality of product information) and the consumer experience (Pleasure while shopping, Immediate use of products purchased). However, more internet-savvy consumers swear by online shopping for its convenience (Shopping when I want, Less time consuming, Home delivery), availability of information (Products and prices can be compared easily, Access to other consumer reviews, Ease to search and find) and the broad range. Price level is considered equal between online and physical shops.

Consumers are eager to use shop websites with physical shops, and to use in-shop devices. If consumers can’t find the products they are looking for in their preferred online shop, half will go to a physical shop either of the same chain or of a different chain and half will change online shops often using a search engine or comparison site. When the same situation happens in a physical shop, a third will try to stay with the same chain, either online or in another location of the chain and a third will go to a physical shop of a different chain.

How can retailers improve the customer experience? Lower prices.If consumers had a say on how retailers should improve their experience, most would reply with lower prices. Also, worth noting are exchange and return policies, adjusted opening hours, home delivery and customer relationships are areas which retailers should invest in.

Again this year, specialty chains hold onto their leadership position when it comes to gift purchases, except for food and drinks which are mostly bought in hypermarket and supermarkets. What’s the best way to reach consumers? Be available everywhere, anytime The graph below shows where people are going to find ideas for great holiday gifts. So, retailers must have a seamless omnichannel approach to reach consumers including physical shops, websites, social media and word-of-mouth. The only channel which is used less and less to get gift ideas is TV. When going onto the Web to get ideas, Belgian consumers mostly visit shop websites with physical shops and brand/supplier websites. Search engines are also widely used to find what they’re looking for and many use social media to search for gift ideas and obtain recommendations but also to check prices and find discounts.


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0% 50% 100% 150% 200% 250%

Books

Music

Movies(DVD/Blue Ray)

Video Games

Technology

Wearables (act. trackers,Smart Watch etc.)

Health & beauty

Food & drinks

Box & cards

Home gifts

Sports

Fashion

Leisure

Toys

Traditional department stores

Luxury stores

Hypermarkets / supermarkets

Speciality chains (selling toys, books, DIY, cothes,..)

Traditional local shops

Factory outlet stores

I don’t know

0% 50% 100% 150% 200% 250%

I was directly asked for it

TV

Physical stores

Websites

Social Media

Word of mouth (Friends, neighboor,...)

Newspapers and magazines

Figure: Where people buy their holiday gifts Figure: Source of inspiration for holiday gifts

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