Hayes Garden World has released a report exploring consumer buying habits and trends at Christmas time. 

People may like to conserve their money for most of the year however when it comes to Christmas, consumers love to splash out. This is beneficial for the industry so long as you know how to make the most of your customer’s buying habits.

Although not everyone may be purchasing a new tree this year, a massive 75% of Britsh people say they spend up to £158 on Christmas decorations for the whole year.

When it comes to Christmas trees, retailers have discovered that artificial Christmas trees are the more popular option. 86% will have an artificial tree this year compared to 9% who plan on buying a real tree. 45% of those who plan on having an artificial tree this year are keeping their tree from last year. 41% will buy a new artificial tree this year, with 11% of those switching from a real tree. 

If one tree wasn’t enough just under 40% of those surveyed said they plan to put up two Christmas trees, indicating an opportunity for retailers to offer smaller, supplementary trees.

Cost and aesthetics were regarded as the most important factors when choosing a new Christmas tree; cost coming in at 50% and aesthetics follow closely behind at 41%. These factors are important to consider when choosing new stock and setting prices. 50% of Hayes’ Christmas trees are sold on Black Friday, highlighting just how important cost is to consumers. 

The survey, looking into shopper’s spending habits, reveals that 63% of people follow a theme when decorating their tree. You may not be surprised to find out that over 40% of those surveyed found inspiration for their decorations from social media and a quarter from newspapers and magazines. So, take advantage of your social media platforms this Christmas as it may give your customers the inspiration that they need.