CHRISTMAS SHOPPING IN EUROPE STATISTA DOSSIERPLUS ON CHRISTMAS SHOPPING IN EUROPE Statista wishes a Merry Christmas It’s that time of the year again – Christmas! And consumers in Europe have already decided what they are buying, where they are buying from, and how much they are allocating for their Christmas shopping. Me and my Team would like to look back on our cooperation in 2019 and thank you very much for the trust you have placed in us. That is why we would like to treat you with a little gift, our DossierPlus Special "Christmas Shopping in Europe". This Statista DossierPlus provides facts and trends about the Christmas shopping patterns and expectations of consumers in Europe. Wrapped in key macroeconomic indicators and retail trade figures, it offers in-depth coverage of the most essential insights of the season. Table of contents 01 European Christmas overview 03 A tale of two channels ◾ Christmas retail trade in Europe ◾ Online retail in Europe ◾ Champions of Christmas retail ◾ Online Christmas spending 02 The European (Christmas) consumer 04 Christmas comes early: the Black Friday effect in Europe ◾ The European consumer in the ◾ Black Friday and Cyber Week European economy in Europe ◾ Christmas spending ◾ Black Friday retail sales 2 Statista Festive Facts United Kingdom Sweden 6.8 10 billion million litres of Beer & Christmas beer Christmas ad sold in Systembolaget spend value in 2019 stores during Christmas week in 2018 The Netherlands Denmark 311 million € 2.9 online revenues during thousand Sinterklaas in 2018 Christmas tree farms as of 2019 Spain Italy China 2.8 billion revenues generated from 29 117 Christmas Lotto “El Gordo - Germany The Fatty One” thousand tons thousand tons of Panettone produced of Christmas decorations 145 supplied into the EU million chocolate Santas produced in 2018 4 01 European Christmas overview ▪ Christmas retail trade in Europe ▪ Champions of Christmas retail It’s the most wonderful time of the year And certainly the busiest, at least for shoppers and retailers. The Yet Christmas will always be Christmas, meaning shopping lists so-called Golden Quarter is already in full throttle, Christmas is will always need to be sorted, consumers will always be out in just around the corner, and shopping deadlines are looming full force on the hunt for the season’s best deals for family and closer. From food to consumer goods, electronics to friends, and businesses will roll out their festive strategies to get entertainment, retailers in many categories brace themselves for the best of the spending rush. To put the festive spirit in a the surge of shoppers flocking to high streets and online consumer perspective, this Statista DossierPlus lays out the marketplaces. Consumers themselves get savvy with their Christmas landscape in Europe, tracing developments in retail budgets, wishing for a fine balance between generous giving during the last quarter of the year and offering a snapshot of and smart spending. consumer spending habits and trends. This Christmas, the expected increase in retail spending in major European countries pales in comparison to the glory of Christmases gone by. Forecasts by the Centre for Retail Research (CRR) indicated that in 2019, Christmas retail spending will perform a minuscule 1.2 percent growth, dropping from the previous two years’ record of a 1.8 percent increase. In view of the declining momentum in global economic growth that afflicted major economies throughout 2019, the projections of moderate progress in holiday spending this year do not come as a surprise. 5 Statista Christmas retail most extravagant in the UK and Germany Europe's biggest five economies have the highest Christmas spending numbers Christmas spending in retail in Europe in 2018, by country (in billion GBP) Christmas brings the biggest joy into the retail sector. The last two months of the 90 year definitely mark a heightened period of 79.72 spending activity in Europe's Christmas 80 retail landscape. Yet it is fair to say that not 68.57 70 every country takes Christmas season shopping as seriously as the United 60.15 60 Kingdom. The country's Christmas retail spending in 2018 exceeded those of Italy, 50 Spain and the Netherlands combined. Germany's retail sector provides another 37.88 40 set of high numbers during this period. With a retail spending just shy of 70 billion 30 Sales in billion GBP in Salesbillion 24.05 British pounds, or a solid 80 billion euros, Germany has the second biggest 20 11.78 Christmas retail business in Europe. 9.04 10 0 United Germany France Italy Spain Netherlands Belgium Kingdom Note: EU; 2018 Source(s): VoucherCodes.co.uk; CRR; ID 1063481 6 Statista Christmas spending development in Europe since 2017 Christmas spend stalls in the UK, Spain expected to make the biggest leap this Christmas Expected growth in Christmas spending in retail in selected European countries from 2017 to 2019 The picture is less cheerful when it comes to what Christmas will bring in retail this year. In the coming holiday season, the two 2017 2018 2019 kings of Christmas retail spending, the 3.5% United Kingdom and Germany, are not expected to perform any Christmas 3.0% miracles, with the former stalling at a minuscule 0.8 percent growth. Instead, a 2.5% boost of about two percent is forecasted for 2.0% both Spain and the Netherlands. 1.5% 1.0% 0.5% Percentage growth in growth spendingPercentage 0.0% Note: EU; 2017 to 2018 Source(s): VoucherCodes.co.uk; CRR; ID 1063395 7 Statista Spotlight: United Kingdom Christmas is serious business in the UK Christmas evokes the most pleasant of sensations in us: the smell of ginger and spice wafting through Christmas markets, domestic pleasures of cozy evenings spent with loved ones, a bustling time of eating, drinking and generally being merry. Yet more than anything, Christmas is a commercial business, propped up by a number of industries and services, all of which help the commercial wheel turn until the next year. Retailers in the UK are all too aware of this, as Christmas becomes an arena for major retail brands to mark their name on the season with their Christmas TV adverts. Every year, the UK's biggest retail companies such as John Lewis, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Marks & Spencer battle for winning the Christmas ad race to make the most of the Christmas retail boost, attract a wider range of consumers and generate more sales. Earlier in November this year, The Guardian reported that the UK Christmas ad industry reached a staggering value of of 6.8 billion British pounds as of the third quarter of 2019, including TV and online ads. 8 Not surprisingly, November and December see the most retail activity Not surprisingly, UK retail peaks in December 9 Retail sales value in million GBP Source(s): Source(s): Note: Dec 14 Jan 15 United Kingdom (Great Britain); December 2014 to 2014 October 2019 December Britain); (Great Kingdom United Feb 15 Office for National Statistics (UK); (UK); Statistics Officefor National Mar 15 Apr 15 May 15 Jun 15 Jul 15 Aug 15 Sep 15 Oct 15 Nov 15 ID 287878 ID Dec 15 Jan 16 Feb 16 Mar 16 Apr 16 May 16 Jun 16 Jul 16 Aug 16 Sep 16 Oct 16 Nov 16 Dec 16 Jan 17 Feb 17 Mar 17 Apr 17 May 17 Jun 17 Jul 17 Aug 17 Sep 17 Oct 17 Nov 17 Dec 17 Jan 18 Feb 18 Mar 18 Apr 18 May 18 Jun 18 Jul 18 Aug 18 Sep 18 Oct 18 Nov 18 Dec 18 Jan 19 Feb 19 Mar 19 Apr 19 May 19 Jun 19 July 19 Aug 19 Statista Sep 19 Oct 19 UK Christmas retail isn't what it used to be Sales have yet to reach the level of 2016 growth rates Year-on-year change in retail sales in the United Kingdom (UK) from January 2016 to November 2019 In December 2018, the value of monthly retail sales made up 12.3 percent of total retail sales in that year. Though in itself this 3.0% is an impressive enough figure, this proportion was the lowest the UK had had 2.0% over the past three years. In fact, since 2016, Christmas retail in the UK has not 1.0% had much reason to be merry. As reported jointly by the British Retail Consortium and 0.0% KPMG, the total value of retail sales -1.0% flattened out in the 2018 Christmas season and saw no growth compared to the -2.0% previous year. -3.0% Percentage change in retail sales in changeretail Percentage -4.0% -5.0% Mar Jun Sep Nov Dec Mar Jun Sep Nov Dec Mar Jun Sep Nov Dec Mar Jun Sep Nov 16 16 16 16 16 17 17 17 17 17 18 18 18 18 18 19 19 19 19 Note: United Kingdom; January 2016 to November 2019 Source(s): KPMG; British Retail Consortium; ID 535015 10 Statista Not all retail is equal in the eyes of Christmas Food and grocery retail is the clear winner of Christmas spending Percentage growth in retail sales of food and non-food items during 4th quarter 2016 and 4th quarter 2018 While a greater emphasis is put on exchanging gifts or treating oneself to Q4 2016 Q4 2017 Q4 2018 Christmas sales 4.0% purchases, more than any 3.6% other retail category, food 3.5% and grocery sales get the biggest boost during the year) - 3.0% season. In the UK, grocery on - 2.5% retail saw the greatest 2.5% 2.3% growth of the past three 2% years in the last quarter of 2.0% 1.6% 2018.