UK women better prepared for Christmas than men, survey shows

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Nov 16, 2016

UK women are more prepared for Christmas than men and also more likely to buy new clothes for the season, a new report shows.

As many as 86% of women shop in the January sales for the following Christmas while 28% of men shop in January for the festive season that has just passed, according to a survey of 1,000 shoppers by department store chain House of Fraser.

The retailer also found that men are more fond of shopping for their partners than women are (65% and 56%, respectively) and make the act a military operation, shopping for everything in one day and often in a group. Comparatively, some 76% of women prefer to pick up bits whenever they can and 42% of these purchases end up being kept for themselves.

As far as Christmas clothes are concerned, women like to buy something new to wear and 28% of women start planning one month in advance. The survey showed 30% of those survey see Christmas as an excuse to go completely glam. However, fewer men choose to buy new clothes with 43% recycling garments from their current wardrobe.

The survey also showed that Londoners are the least prepared for Christmas with 20% of customers buying new party clothes three days or less before the event, citing the unpredictable weather as a reason for this.

As many as 62% of women in the capital take the elements into account while in the north west it’s only 39%. Meanwhile, 35% of women in the north can survive a whole night in their heels, compared to the national average of 25%.

House of Fraser also said that 82% of women are more likely to buy a new outfit for Christmas Day, choosing a dressed up look. Men by contrast prefer comfort clothes (60%).