A fifth of UK adults have already started Christmas shopping – but how much are they spending?

Do you consider yourself a super organised Christmas shopper, who like to get ahead early? Or are you a self-confessed last-minute dash type of festive shopper?

The colder weather has only just started to set in – but around a fifth of UK adults have already started shopping for Christmas, new research reveals.

In fact, some 21% of adults have already started making some of their festive purchases, according to American Express.

Finding inspiration for the perfect present can be difficult – but it seems friends and family are the go-to source of inspiration for those needing help with what to get, with nearly half (47%) of Christmas shoppers saying they will get gift ideas from their nearest and dearest.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, social media plays an important role in people’s Christmas gift decision-making, too.

Over half (56%) of the Gen-Z age group (people born from 1997-2012) surveyed say they’ll take their cue from social media ads, and a third (34%) will take inspiration from influencers or content creators they follow on social media platforms.

So, what sort of gifts are people opting for in 2024?

When it comes to what’s gifted for the festive season, 87% will buy physical gifts, while 37% will purchase experiences.

Nearly two-thirds (64%) of people buying physical gifts will be wrapping up clothes this year, with food-related gifts (57%) and skin or beauty products (55%) also set to remain a popular choice.

The Amex Trendex research also reveals that UK parents are expected to spend £420 typically on festive gifts in total for all their children this year, with nine in 10 (90%) planning to give physical presents to their offspring.

The research, which was also carried out in other countries – including Germany, Italy, Australia, India, Spain, Mexico, Canada, Japan, Singapore, France and Hong Kong, – found that UK parents were the second-highest gifting spenders in the report, coming only behind parents in the United States.

UK parents also plan to spend £367 on other family members – leaving £239 to spend on their partner or spouse.

While many people have made a fast start to their Christmas shopping this year, it seems plenty will still be leaving it late.

Four in 10 say they will only finish their holiday gift shopping with just one week to go, while one in 10 (10%) – perhaps riskily – admit they will likely leave it until the day before.

Dave Edwards, vice president of demand generation at American Express, says: “As we approach the festive period, it’s no surprise to see Brits getting prepared, with more than 20% of respondents having already started their festive shopping.”

And it’s not just loved ones that will benefit from festive spending. As Edwards adds: “Our research also shows that almost a quarter (23%) are planning to buy gifts for themselves.”