New Festive Insights Report from Teads Explores UK Gifting Trends in 2024 - IAB Europe

A new 2024 Festive Insights report from Teads, the global media platform, reveals that consumers are looking forward to a better Christmas in 2024, as over four out of 10 people in the UK say they expect Christmas to be better this year than in recent years. That upbeat mood is particularly striking among the younger age group, with almost two thirds (65%) of 18–34-year-olds anticipating a better Christmas.

The research shows that people in the UK are expecting to spend more on the festive feast, with Christmas dinner, drinks, and nibbles all seeing an uptick. But while positivity is high, the findings show that people are still looking for value for money and quality in their Christmas shop.

Sarah Tsirkas, Retail Industry Director at Teads UK, comments: “This new mood of consumer optimism is great news for brands. However, our report reveals that value for money remains a top priority for festive shoppers this year. As always, strategic planning of festive ad campaigns — both in messaging and timing — is paramount.”

In a further nod to this positive mood, the gifts under the tree are likely to be a little more plentiful this year. While spending on presents is likely to rise across the board, spending on presents for children is expected to rise even more significantly than on those for partners and friends.

Speaking of gift timelines, the survey highlights that there’s a significant spike in shopping for tech gifts around Black Friday and Cyber Monday, other gift shopping follows a slightly different pattern. Toys and homeware purchases see a steady upturn from October through until Christmas, whereas food and drink gifts are planned to be bought in December.

Finally, environmental concerns are increasingly becoming an important factor in Christmas shopping for many people in the UK, with 85% planning to take environmentally friendly actions this Christmas. These include reducing food waste, shopping more locally, reducing gift wrapping and packaging, avoiding novelty presents and choosing gifts that will last. This may also indicate why one area of spending is likely to see a decrease this year, as UK consumers expect to spend less on Christmas decorations.

To unwrap more festive gifting trends in 2024, download the 2024 Festive Insights report.