How are Britons aged under 55 going to pay for their Christmas shopping?

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The festive season is here, which means it’s also one of the most commercially active periods in for Britain’s retail sector. But how are Britons going to pay for their Christmas shopping hauls this year?

A fresh YouGov Self-Serve poll asks this question to Christmas shoppers under the age of 55.

First things first, pretty much the entire nation’s working-age population is going to participate in some form of Christmas shopping – 95% of Britons aged under 55 say so. Specifically, 40% of Britons say they will shop for both others and themselves, while 51% say they will shop only for others and 4% say they will shop for just themselves.

So how is this audience going to pay for their festive shopping hauls?

Cash remains a dominant force among working-age Brits, with 57% saying it will be among their payment options for Christmas gifting this year. Other than using free cash at hand, three in ten Brits (31%) will dip into their savings to make payments.

Two-fifths of the audience will use credit cards (41%), making it the second-most popular medium. Other modes of payment command much smaller market share. Only one in ten of these working-age Christmas shoppers will use buy now, pay later services (10%). Options like cash advances (1%) and personal loans (1%) are much less popular options.

Looking at behaviours on Christmas more generally, 82% say they are looking forward to spending time with family or friends, 76% are looking forward to Christmas dinner - perhaps stretching out any fashionable trousers they've purchased this year! - and 73% are looking forward to gift giving. The next most popular options are watching movies/shows (62%), decorating the home (48%), listening to Xmas songs (46%), and receiving Christmas gifts (45%).

Methodology: YouGov polled 482 Great Britain adults who are under the age of 55 on December 8, 2023. The survey was carried out through YouGov Surveys: Self-serve. Data is weighted by age, gender, race, political affiliation, education level and region. Learn more about YouGov Surveys: Self-serve.