• 40% of people are Christmas shopping earlier than they usually would
• 32% of people plan to spend more on Christmas this year
• People plan to spend 13% more on presents this year. Increasing from £423 in 2020 to £478 this year
• 30% of people plan to shop locally

According to a new survey commissioned by Secret Santa name generator DrawNames.co.uk,
40% of people are Christmas shopping earlier than they usually would and 10% even started shopping in October. Nearly one third (29%) cited wanting to reduce stress as the main reason for shopping earlier. By starting shopping earlier ensures that you won’t have the Christmas Eve panic of heading out to the shops.

Over a third of people surveyed (32%) said that they planned to spend more on Christmas this year, then in 2020. With last year not being a ‘typical’ Christmas, it’s no surprise that 28% said it was because they wanted to make it extra special this year. Businesses have shown they are grateful to their employees, as 20% of people said they will spend more as they had a pay rise this year. The average amount that people plan to spend this year has increased by £55 (13%) from £423 last year to £478 this year.

With people spending time at home during the last 18 months, there has been a real resurgence in people wanting to support their local communities and independent businesses. This shows in the survey where 30% of people plan to shop locally or from small businesses to buy their Christmas presents. 18% will mostly be shopping online from ASOS, 19% plan to shop at John Lewis and 21% at Marks and Spencer.

It’s no surprise that 42% will shop at Argos. The tradition of children circling the toys they want in the Argos catalogue may sadly be over, as Argos announced they stopped the catalogue last year after printing one billion copies for 47 years, but people will still be ordering online. The convenience of Amazon Prime next day delivery is unsurprisingly still proving popular with a massive 77% of people surveyed that they will be shopping with the online giant.

A Secret Santa exchange is often considered an office tradition but is becoming more popular, with 25% of people saying they will host one with their friends and 18% with family members. A Secret Santa is a tradition where you are given a name secretly, and then have to buy that person a gift anonymously, once a budget has been set. 58% say that they still pull a name out of a bowl or hat to pick their Secret Santa! This can be difficult if friends and family aren’t local. DrawNames is an exciting and 100% touchless, virtual and free Secret Santa gift exchange app. It brings families together from across the globe. Over 7 million people have drawn names this year.

Using the Secret Santa auto gift finder, you can find the perfect present in the right price group for any family member, friend or colleague. 33% of people surveyed said that they find it useful when someone has a wish list, proving you are never too old to send Santa a wish list.

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Notes to editor:
How it Works
• Launching a Secret Santa group is easy, safe, secure and free
• Groups can be set up within minutes and people can join quickly and create a wish list without an account or login
• The DrawNames Secret Santa App is available for iPhone and Android
• Each member will receive an email directing them to their drawn name. A Live Name Drawing event can also be held virtually
• DrawNames allows Secret Santa group members to ask anonymous questions of their recipient in order to find the best present – put some fun into it!
• No more in-store shopping searching for hours for a gift. Participants can use the DrawNames’ auto gift finder, which includes a variety of price points
• Find out more: www.drawnames.co.uk/app

About Us

For more than 20 years, DrawNames has helped millions of people – companies, friends and families – organise their free online gift exchanges. The service allows groups to create a gift exchange for any occasion, drawing names without the hassle of a hat. The 100% touchless virtual gift exchange includes an Auto Name Generator or choice to hold a Live Name Drawing event, ability to create an online wish list, an auto Gift Generator/gift finder or the ability to exchange wish lists or find the perfect gift through anonymous questions. In 2020, the company introduced the option to send gifts via mail directly to recipients and hold virtual “Unwrap Live” events. Millions of people rely on DrawNames to simplify their Secret Santa gift exchange whether it be for Christmas, Hannukah, Eid al-Fitr (Secret Eid), marking the end of Ramadan, or Valentine’s Day. DrawNames.co.uk

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