How UK consumers are shopping for electronics this holiday season

With the holiday season approaching, a YouGov Surveys: Serviced study reveals that 45% of UK adults plan to buy electronic devices for Christmas. The survey of 2,079 UK adults sheds light on shopping trends, purchase timing, and brand preferences ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

What electronics are most popular this holiday season?

Smartphones and headphones/ earbuds are the most popular devices this season, with 15% and 12% of adults planning to purchase them, respectively. Other popular items include laptops (11%), smart TVs (10%), and tablets (9%). While interest in smart watches (8%) and gaming consoles (5%) is slightly lower, they remain popular among certain segments. For instance, 12% of 18-24 aged adults are planning to buy smart watches while 9% are looking to purchase gaming consoles. Some three in five (59%) adults do not plan to buy any electronic devices, highlighting varied consumer priorities this season.

When are Britons shopping for electronics?

Many shoppers are timing their purchases around major sales events, with Black Friday and Cyber Monday dominating as key purchase periods. Here's a breakdown of planned purchase timing among shoppers intending to purchase the following devices this Christmas:

• Gaming consoles: 35% during Black Friday/ Cyber Monday vs. 13% in December.
• Smart watches/ fitness trackers: 31% during sales events vs. 12% in December.
• Headphones/ earbuds: 27% during Black Friday/ Cyber Monday vs. 14% in December.
• Smart speaker: 24% during Black Friday/ Cyber Monday vs. 10% in December.
• For products like smartphones (23% vs. 16%) and e-readers (22% vs. 14%), sales events are also a significant draw, though December remains a secondary purchasing period.

Which brands are capturing the interest of shoppers planning to purchase electronics this holiday season?

• Smartphones: Apple and Samsung dominate, with 49% considering Samsung and 43% considering Apple. Google smartphones are the next most popular, garnering 14% of interest.
• Headphones/Earbuds: Apple AirPods are the most considered brand at 33%, closely followed by Samsung at 32% and Sony at 19%. Bose and Beats by Dre attract interest from 14% and 13% of Britons, respectively.
• Laptops: HP and Apple share the lead, each considered by 34% of Britons. Samsung follows at 24%, while Dell is considered by 20% of Britons. Other brands like Lenovo (18%), Acer (17%), Google (14%), and ASUS (13%) also hold varying degrees of consumer interest.
• Smart TVs: Samsung is the most considered brand at 47%, followed by LG at 38% and Sony at 26%. Panasonic and Phillips capture 16% and 12% interest, respectively, among potential buyers.

• Tablets: Apple remains the top choice at 45%, with Samsung close behind at 35%. Amazon Fire tablets attract 19% of adults, followed by Lenovo (14%) and Google devices (11%).
• Smart Watches/ Fitness Trackers: Some 42% are considering an Apple Watch, while 30% are looking at Fitbit and 27% at Samsung Galaxy Watch models.
• Smart speakers: About 54% of consumers are considering Amazon Echo, 30% Google Nest, and 26% Apple HomePod. Sonos rounds out the category with 18% of potential buyers expressing interest.

• Gaming Consoles: Three-fifth consumers planning to buy gaming consoles are considering PlayStation (66%), far ahead of Xbox (29%) and Nintendo Switch (26%).
• Digital Cameras: Canon (42%) has the highest consideration followed by Sony (39%). Nikon captures 31% of interest among shoppers.
• Desktop/ PC: A third of consumers are considering Apple (34%), 28% HP, and 26% a custom build PC
• E-Readers: Amazon Kindle dominates with 82% of consumers considering it, compared to 20% for Kobo and 7% for Nook.

Who are the purchases for?

Among those planning to buy electronic devices, 62% are purchasing for themselves, while 63% are also buying for others. Certain products are heavily skewed toward gifting. Gaming consoles (79%), smart speakers (77%), and digital cameras (74%) are primarily gifts. Items like smartphones (74%), laptops (79%), and PCs (75%) are more likely to be bought for personal use.

Methodology: YouGov Surveys: Serviced provide quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. This study was conducted online on 8-10 November 2024 with a nationally/ representative sample of 2079 adults (aged 18+ years) in Great Britain, using a questionnaire designed by YouGov. Data figures have been weighted by age, gender, education and social grade to be representative of all adults in Great Britain (18 years or older) and reflect the latest ONS population estimates.