Groupon has wanted to know how the Spanish will live this Christmas with the start-up of the study Christmas Experiences 2022, which has relevant data on the way in which these festivities will be experienced. According to the information obtained, 70% will do it at home and with their family. However, 21% confess that they would like to do it as a family, but traveling, something that only 1.76% will do.
As far as budget is concerned, 35% of the population will allocate less money to gifts this year compared to the previous year. Half of them point to inflation as the reason for the decrease in their budget. Savings to meet other goals during the year, the belief that it is not necessary to give away large amounts, and the disagreement with the consumerist side of Christmas are the reasons given by the other 50%.
Regarding the most popular amount, 45% of Spaniards will allocate between 100 and 300 euros to Christmas giftswith Catalonia being the community with the largest budget, where 12% of those surveyed state that they will allocate more than €600 to the same cause. Basque Country stands out with the tightest budget, since 28% affirm that they will invest less than €100.
The most anticipated gifts: clothes, trips and experiences
Experiential gifts will be highly valued. Gone are electronic devices or home decoration, demonstrating that, with the first unrestricted Christmas since 2020, we want to return to the experiential and cultural, above the material. And it is that 34% of those surveyed prefer to receive this type of gift compared to 18%, who choose objects as their favorite option. 48% also affirm that they value both options equally.
Trips or experiences (45%) and the clothing items (34%) They are the presents that Spaniards most want to receive on these dates. A curious fact, since 60% of those surveyed admit that clothing will be one of the gifts they will buy for their loved ones, fulfilling their wishes, compared to 27% who will give away trips or experiences. Therefore, that desired getaway, wine tasting, dance class or beauty treatments will not arrive for the 28% of Spaniards who are waiting for it so much. For those who are not sure where to buy this type of gift, Groupon offers a wide range of experiences, ideal if we want to surprise with an original detail.
However, the favorite choice of the Balearic Islands is striking. 50% of them have chosen gift cards as the gift they would be most excited to receive. Or hishe Asturians, whose greatest desire is cash (35%)breaking with the trend of the country.
Unwanted gifts: what will happen to them?
“Don’t look in the teeth of a gift horse”, says the Spanish proverb that recommends accepting gifts willingly and without objection. And it is that, as in every Christmas, we will receive gifts that we do not expect or that are not to our liking. It is up to us to decide what we do with them when we receive them.
In this context, 7.26% of those surveyed admit that they will use the gifts they receive to give to other loved ones on future occasions. That is, they will be re-gifted. Of these, 4.8% admit to always doing so, compared to 2.46%, who indicate that they will do so due to the increase in the cost of living. The Cantabrians will be the kings of this practice, where one in seven people admits that they will apply this strategy.
But to receive a “bad” gift, a hand is needed to give it to us. Family members have been popularly chosen as those responsible for making the worst and strangest gifts by 33% of Spaniards. Those with which you do not know what to do and that, inevitably, we feel tempted to return or re-gift. In Aragon, however, this fame is attributed to co-workers, an option chosen by 36% of those surveyed in the community.
Buying habits: best valued places, moments and attributes
The so-called “Black Friday” generally landed in Spain in 2012 and, since then, many shops and companies have joined the pre-Christmas discounts. It is a formula that works so well thanks to the facilities in the return of the products purchased after the course of Christmas. 53% of the users interviewed have chosen this moment as their favorite option to purchase gifts.
The rise of e-commerce in recent years, which was even more notable during the pandemic, is undeniable. However, the hybrid purchasing model continues to triumph: 36% of those surveyed affirm that they will use the physical and online store interchangeablycompared to 35% who will buy only online and 29% who bet on the face-to-face experience in the store.
Local businesses will continue to be the most affected, since one in four people indicates that they will make their purchases in large stores, highlighting as the main reason the lack of supply and variety of products in small businesses, as well as the higher prices compared to to the sales giants. Precisely this factor, the price, is chosen by 51% of those surveyed as a determinant to purchase an item, experience or service, above others such as the return policy, shipping costs or brand values.
“At Groupon, we are committed to supporting local businesses. Thanks to them, the social and economic structure of a neighborhood or city remains active and continues to grow. Local businesses tend to be nourished by suppliers of the same nature and generate employment within the community. Therefore, consuming in this type of business helps the economy and life of each neighborhood. It can even attract and improve tourism in the city. The owners of these businesses usually also reside in the community itself, so they are more committed to its well-being and future. They have a direct commitment with the consumers, since they depend on their support”, comment Javier Sánchez Ballesteros, Groupon Head of Sales.
As the most valued attributes in the products or experiences acquired, quality (46%) and practicality (42%) stand out, well above others such as exclusivity or the possibility of customization.
49% confess to using platforms such as Groupon regularly for two reasons equal in popularity: the possibility of purchasing original gifts and the competitive prices they usually offer. In fact, 36% admit that they have considered buying gifts for Christmas through this type of marketplaces.