What lockdown 2.0 means for Christmas shopping

At the time of writing there are three days left if you want to guarantee you can do your Christmas shopping in a physical shop. After that the UK will be put into lockdown until 2nd December, with Cabinet Ministers warning the restrictions will be difficult to lift if the spread of the virus hasn’t been brought under control (according to The Times).

And this poses an interesting challenge for brands. Most of us ignore the Christmas paraphernalia that has donned the supermarket shelves since the kids went back to school in September until after Halloween and Bonfire Night. But we are pretty organised when our focus does eventually turn to the festive season. Last year, YouGov revealed that 72% of respondents in a survey had bought some, most or all of their Christmas presents by 6th December. This means the latest UK lockdown falls right at the point consumers turn their attention to Christmas shopping. 

So what are the behaviours we’ll see from consumers and what are their expectations from brands?

• 53% of Brits expect brands to increase their online shopping capabilities
• 42.7% expect brands to provide discounts
• Over 50% will spend the same or more than last year
• 21.3% want to buy from small independent businesses
• 25% planned to shop for Black Friday offers in Department stores, shopping centres and local shops before lockdown was announced 

Source: Global Web Index

It’s clear that the opportunities to benefit from the huge surge in online Christmas shopping traffic this year are massive. Here at 26, we’re helping you prepare for this altered shopping landscape with the latest insights from our channel specialists. From helping people find your brand online to converting them into customers, our Golden Quarter report has the tools to help you get the most out of the festive season.  

If you’re looking for support in navigating the busiest shopping period of the year, download our Golden Quarter report or contact our team of experts.