British Shoppers Plan a Savvy Splurge this Christmas

LONDON, December 10 - British consumers are approaching Christmas in the mood for 'measured
excess' this year, seeking to turn their back on the bleak economic midwinter
but committed to extracting maximum mileage from their planned festive spend.

According to new research from the Future Foundation, three quarters of
shoppers (76%) say they will buy their Christmas presents more carefully this
year, to make sure they get just what they want at the best price. It seems
that our new-found habits of considered and price-scrutinising consumption,
which have been so invigorated by recession, are now firmly ingrained.

Happily, for many this year's festive season also offers welcome
opportunity to loosen the purse strings a little, after a year of personal
financial rigour: 44% of consumers say they expect to splash out a little
this festive season, having budgeted carefully over the last 12 months. And
luxury is back on the menu, with 47% of men intending to buy their partner an
extra-special Christmas gift. A more measured approach may characterise our
day-to-day spending now, but our appetite for indulgence and novelty clearly
still has a strong hold too.

But despite some consumers' urge to splurge, it seems that the underlying
'rational' approach to the festivities may be dampening the spirit of
Christmas for many. In a year when nostalgia has been a central theme for so
many brands in their marketing and communications, many of us are apparently
looking longingly in the rear view mirror at Yuletides past: 60% think
Christmas now is not as much fun as it was in our youth.

I'm dreaming of a green Christmas

Other factors beyond immediate concern for our own finances may also be
at work here. For many British consumers, it seems that a growing social
conscience, particularly evident currently in an increasing distaste for
waste and overt consumption, is creating tensions with the concept of a
carefree Christmas. 40% plan to cap their spend this year, purely because
they think it is the right thing to do; while two in ten (21%) say they will
deliberately buy fewer gifts in the interests of creating less waste.

Pippa Goodman, Future Foundation Retail Director, comments: "It's
encouraging to see that many consumers do intend to splash out a little this
Christmas. But these findings reinforce that an almost professional approach
to shopping and budgeting has become the norm for the vast majority. Equally,
it seems that we are becoming more self conscious about festive fun and aware
of the impact of traditional Christmas indulgence."

    Other key findings:

    - Shoppers in the North West (80%) and Midlands (78%) are most
      likely to be scrutinising their Christmas gifts to ensure they are
      getting good value

    - Women will also be assessing gifts with an eagle eye: 81% say they
      will research presents more carefully to ensure they get the best
      value, compared to 71% of men

    - Consumers in London (49%) and Scotland (46%) are most likely to be
      loosening their purse strings and splashing out a little

    - Women are apparently more environmentally conscious than men when it
      comes to gifting, with 50% planning to cut down to reduce waste,
      compared to 41% of men

    - The greenest shoppers live in the North East (27% plan to
      minimise waste by giving less gifts), while the residents of Wales
     (18%), the North West (19%) and the Midlands (19%) seem less concerned

    - Although the UK's women look set to enjoy a touch of luxury,
      sadly the same doesn't apply for men: only 33% of women plan to splash
      out on a luxury treat for their significant other this Christmas.

    Notes to editors:

    - On behalf of the Future Foundation, TNS surveyed 1,010 UK adults aged
     16-64 in November 2009.

    - The Future Foundation is an independent consumer and business trends
      think-tank. Founded in 1996, the Future Foundation's expertise lies in
      understanding and forecasting social and consumer trends and analysing
      their impact on markets, brands, products and services.

For more information, please contact the Future Foundation: Joe Staton - +44(0)20-3008-5770 / joes at futurefoundation.net; Karen Canty - +44(0)20-3008-5772 / karenc at futurefoundation.net; Jim Murphy - +44(0)20-3008-5769 / jamesm at futurefoundation.net