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Early Christmas shoppers believe they save nearly £100 by getting ahead, new research reveals

  • - New research commissioned by TopCashback reveals, on average, Christmas shoppers believe they save £98 by starting their shopping early

  • - One in four (24%) haven’t started their Christmas shopping with a month to go, while just 3% have finished everything

  • - 78% think Christmas starts earlier in shops every year

  • - Almost half (49%) would rather spend less on presents than be financially stretched in January


With less than 12 weeks to go until Christmas, newly commissioned research from TopCashback, the UK’s leading cashback site, reveals shoppers who get ahead of their festive buying believe they save an average of £98 by starting before mid-December.

The figure - an 18% decrease from 2025 (£120) - suggests expected savings from starting early may not stretch as far this Christmas. Men estimate they save a higher amount than women on average (£104 vs £93) although both figures are lower than last year (£140 vs. £104).

Yet despite the savings associated with getting ahead, just under one in four (24%) Christmas shoppers still haven’t started with only a month to go, four percentage points higher than in 2025 (20%). At the same time, only 3% have already finished their shopping, unchanged from last year, revealing a clear gap between the savings shoppers associate with starting early, and when they actually begin buying.

For those getting ahead, staying organised and spreading the cost are key motivations. More than half (54%) of those who start before mid-December say they prefer to be organised, up four percentage points from last year.

Two in five (40%) of those who start early do so to spread the cost of Christmas, while 35% do so to take advantage of deals, both unchanged on last year. Others start early to allow time for deliveries (29%), get expenses out of the way (28%) or simply just give themselves more time to shop around (23%).

Despite the slow start, the festive rush inevitably catches up. By 18 December, just one week before Christmas, more than three-quarters (77%) have completed the majority, if not all of their shopping, although one in ten (10%) have either yet to start or have only made limited progress.

While many shoppers delay buying presents, Christmas itself appears to be arriving in shops earlier. More than three-quarters (78%) who celebrate Christmas believe the festive season starts earlier in shops every year, while almost a third (32%) say Christmas officially begins for them before December, including almost one in ten (8%) who start getting into the festive spirit before November.

An early festive start is also reflected in shopping habits. One in five (20%) begin Christmas shopping in late November, while more than one in ten (11%) are even more prepared by picking up presents all year round, with women being 6 percentage points more likely than men to do so (14% vs 8%).

But whether shoppers start months in advance or leave it until the last minute, the financial pressure of Christmas appears prevalent. More than a third (36%) agree that Christmas shopping causes them financial stress, while 38% worry about the financial cost in the lead-up to Christmas. This makes sense as more than a third (37%) also say they find it difficult to stick to their Christmas shopping budget.

Most agree these effects stretch beyond Christmas Day, with 49% saying they would rather spend less on gifts than feel financially stretched in January.

Faced with these pressures, savvy shoppers are looking for smart ways to keep costs down when it comes to festive spending. Discount codes and vouchers are considered the most important money-saving technique when buying Christmas gifts, decorations and non-perishable goods, cited by 68% of Christmas shoppers. Sales and promotional periods are a close runner up, with 67% of those noting it as a key way to save on their Christmas shop, while 60% consider stacking multiple deals, discounts or offers important.

More than half 53% also say earning cashback on their purchases is an important way to save money when Christmas shopping.

Abigail Yearley, director at TopCashback, says: "With Christmas shoppers who start early estimating they save nearly £100 on average, getting ahead of the festive rush could make a real difference to household budgets.

"Starting early isn’t about buying more - it’s about assessing what is realistic for your household budget. If you’re yet to begin planning, first work out what you can afford to spend this year. Then track prices where you can and stack savings by combining promotional sales, discount codes and cashback. A little forward planning today can help spread and save costs and reduce festive stress. Plus, what we don’t spend on can be just as important as what we do."

Notes to Editors
  • - Research undertaken by Opinium, commissioned by TopCashback. Total sample size: 2,000 UK adults weighted to be nationally representative. Research carried out between 18 - 28 August 2026 and year on year data carried out 12 - 16 September 2025.

  • - For additional data and demographics, please contact the TopCashback press office.


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About TopCashback.co.uk
Established 21 years ago, and with more than 25 million members worldwide, TopCashback is the UK’s leading cashback site. It is simple; TopCashback offers people savings and money back on everything they buy when clicking through the site to over 5,500 retailers available. Rates vary from brand to brand, but on average members earn over £300 by doing their shopping, utility switching and renewing insurance policies through the site.