Thursday 16 November 2000
New DealTime.co.uk Survey reveals that more Britons find Christmas shopping stressful than visiting the dentist
Fewer people find a trip to the dentist stressful than they find Christmas shopping, according to MORI research released today. What's more, a day's work and looking after crying babies are also found to be less stressful than the annual trek around the shops. Three in ten people find Christmas shopping stressful and less than one in five look forward to shopping for gifts in the lead up to the festive season.
The survey of over 2000 adults nationwide, was commissioned by DealTime.co.uk, the world's leading comparison shopping service. It finds that young people are most likely to wish that they could do their shopping without leaving the house, indicating that they are likely to be most receptive to online shopping. However, while the older generation dislikes Christmas shopping most, they still prefer to visit the shops.
"This survey confirms what we have all known for a long time: Christmas shopping can be a nightmare," says Ehud Furman, managing director, DealTime UK. "More than three in ten people find Christmas shopping traumatic, compared to one quarter who fear the dentist's chair. Online shopping provides a welcome release from the crowds and has the added advantage of providing shoppers with convenience and the best price without sacrificing quality."
Crowded shops, long queues and parking problems are the most frequently cited reasons for the build up of anxiety. Doing the Christmas shopping before the December rush can ease the stress and it seems that shoppers learn with experience. Those aged 15 to 24 are the least likely to shop early to avoid the crowds (28%), while those aged 55+ are the most likely (40%). Not surprisingly, it is the shoppers who spend least at Christmas that shop for the shortest period.
It's a Girl Thing
More than twice as many women look forward to Christmas shopping than men (26% versus 11%). But most women seem to be in luck as the research finds that one third of men, compared to one quarter of women, are much more likely to spend over £100 on the person closest to them.
A Perfect Gift
Around two-thirds of the people surveyed would rather spend their time with friends and family, if someone would do their shopping for them. Deciding what to buy for family, friends and loved ones can add to the pressure. More than half of the public has difficulty choosing gifts and this adds to the stress. Thankfully, only one in 20 say that their partner never buys them what they want for Christmas.
If you want a tip on what to buy for your loved one this year, the survey finds that one the safest options is jewellery which is desired by one quarter of women. Men have more varied tastes with books, music and household or DIY appliances each being desired by at least one in ten.
Topline Results
- 2,008 adults aged 15+ were interviewed between 26-30 October 2000 on the MORI Omnibus
- All interviews were conducted face-to-face
- Data are weighted to ensure results represent the GB population
- Where data does not add to 100%, this is due to rounding
- * denotes percentage between 0 and 0.5
Q1 Which, if any, of the following situations do you find stressful?
| | % |
|---|
| Moving house | 37 |
| Driving in heavy traffic | 35 |
| Being late for an appointment | 34 |
| Christmas shopping in December | 31 |
| Loud music from neighbours at night | 29 |
| Visiting the dentist | 24 |
| Looking after crying babies | 19 |
| My job/Working | 16 |
| Travelling in a plane | 14 |
| Changing jobs | 12 |
| None | 6 |
Q2 What is the total time you spend on Christmas shopping, on average, each year?
| | % |
|---|
| More than 4 shopping days | 33 |
| 2-4 shopping days | 28 |
| 1 shopping day | 13 |
| 1-6 hours | 15 |
| Less than an hour | 5 |
| None | 5 |
| Don't know | 2 |
Q3 If your Christmas shopping was done for you and you had two spare days free during the Christmas season which, if any, of the following would you rather do with the spare time?
| | % |
|---|
| Spend time with family and friends | 63 |
| Weekend away/weekend break | 29 |
| Watch Christmas television | 13 |
| Catch up on sleep | 12 |
| Organise a party | 6 |
| Work for a charity | 6 |
| Go into work | 4 |
| None of these | 4 |
| Don't know | 1 |
Q4 Which of the following, if any, would you say are the worst things about Christmas shopping? Please select up to 3 statements
| | % |
|---|
| Fighting your way through crowded stores | 61 |
| Long queues | 50 |
| Difficulty finding a parking space | 34 |
| Heavy traffic on the way to the shops | 22 |
| The amount of time it takes | 22 |
| Taking children to busy shops | 20 |
| Rude sales staff | 17 |
| Lack of popular products in stock | 11 |
| Spending money on parking, drinks and food | 8 |
| None of these | 3 |
| Other | 1 |
| Don't know | 1 |
Q5 Reading the following statements about Christmas shopping, please could you tell me which statements, if any, you agree with?
| | % agree |
|---|
| I have a difficulty deciding what to buy people for Christmas | 55 |
| I try to finish my Christmas shopping early to avoid the crowded shops | 36 |
| Christmas shopping is very stressful | 24 |
| Christmas is my least favourite time of the year to shop | 19 |
| Christmas shopping is something I look forward to doing | 19 |
| I wish I could get all my shopping in one place without leaving the house | 17 |
| I would be perfectly happy if I never had to buy another Christmas present in my life | 15 |
| I would consider taking one or more days off work as holiday to do my Christmas shopping | 12 |
| My partner never buys me what I want for Christmas | 5 |
| It is safer to give credit card details over the internet than to a waiter or waitress | 4 |
| I would consider taking a sick day off work to do my Christmas shopping | 3 |
| None | 7 |
Q6 How much money do you expect to spend in total on your Christmas presents this year? And how much do you expect to spend on the person closest to you?
| | Total | Closest person |
|---|
| | % | % |
|---|
| Under £20 | 1 | 8 |
| £20-£50 | 4 | 26 |
| £51-£100 | 9 | 26 |
| £101 - £200 | 18 | 18 |
| £201 - £300 | 17 | 7 |
| £301 - £400 | 12 | 2 |
| £401 - £500 | 12 | 1 |
| £501 - £1,000 | 16 | 1 |
| Over £1000 | 5 | * |
| Nothing | 2 | 4 |
| Don't know | 5 | 5 |
| No-one close to buy for | - | 1 |
Q7 On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is the lowest and 10 is the highest, how stressful would you rate Christmas shopping?
| | Summary |
|---|
| | Scale | % | Scale | % |
|---|
| Not stressful | 1 | 9 | 1-2 | 15 |
| | 2 | 6 |
| | 3 | 8 | 3-5 | 33 |
| | 4 | 8 |
| | 5 | 17 |
| | 6 | 11 | 6-8 | 36 |
| | 7 | 12 |
| | 8 | 14 |
| | 9 | 5 | 9-10 | 13 |
| Very stressful | 10 | 8 |
| Don't know | | 3 | | |
Q8 Which of the following best describes your ideal Christmas present…?
| | % |
|---|
| Clothing | 21 |
| Jewellery | 15 |
| Books | 12 |
| Music | 10 |
| Household and DIY appliances | 7 |
| A DVD player | 5 |
| A digital camera | 5 |
| Some beauty products/perfume | 4 |
| Sports equipment | 4 |
| A camcorder | 4 |
| Garden equipment | 3 |
| Computer games console | 2 |
| None of these | 6 |
| Don't know | 2 |