Smartphones transform the last minute Christmas dash
With just over two weeks left until Christmas, the rush for last minute gifts will be starting for many. However, new research commissioned by PayPal has revealed how the traditional shopping dash is being transformed by smartphones, and could spell the end for bad gifts.
BAD GIFTS
According to the survey of 2,000 consumers commissioned by PayPal, a third of Brits admit to being guilty of buying bad gifts (34%) with one in four of these admitting it’s because they panic buy at the last minute (28%). What’s more, 46% of Brits spend more on these last minute bad gifts, than ones they plan for and buy earlier. Men (65%) are more likely than women (55%) to claim they have received a bad gift.
The top culprits for buying bad gifts are:
1. Your in-laws
2. Your significant other
3. Your friends
4. Your colleagues
5. Your mum
SMARTPHONE SHOPPING
Alison Sagar, Head of Consumer at PayPal UK, says: “Last minute gifts don’t inevitably need to be bad Christmas gifts. We now have these incredibly powerful computers in our pockets in the form of smartphones, and they can really ease the pressure on last minute shoppers. It’s never been easier to research, browse and buy your Christmas gifts.”
The most popular places for Christmas mobile shopping sprees are on the sofa (34% of respondents) and in bed (31%). An estimated 8 million* multitasking Brits admit to browsing and buying on the loo (14%), making it the third most popular place to do Christmas shopping on mobiles or tablets.
The most popular places for Christmas shopping on mobile are:
1. On the sofa
2. In bed
3. On the toilet
4. At work
5. In the car (as a passenger)
GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR MOBILE
Four ways last minute shoppers can take advantage of their smartphones this Christmas:
- 18% of respondents who buy bad gifts say this is because they don’t know what the recipient likes. A quick search through their social media profiles should inspire some ideas for difficult-to-buy for loved ones.
- Activate features like PayPal One Touch, which allows you to shop one-handed and pay with just a couple of thumb taps, and avoid filling in forms on your phone.
- You never know who might be spying on your gift buying. A privacy protector on your smartphone screen could be handy to keep your shopping secret.
- 21% of respondents have been asked to return a gift. If you pay with PayPal and find you need to return unwanted goods, you can get a refund on the cost of return shipping.
All data points are sourced from a nationally representative survey of 2,015 consumers conducted for PayPal by Censuswide from November 29th 2017 – December 1st 2017.
Return Shipping On Us is an exclusive offer offered to eligible PayPal account holders for up to 12 refunds on your return shipping costs from 1 January 2017 through to 31 December 2017 and up to £15 per claim.
Alison Sagar, Head of Consumer, PayPal UK