From foie gras to logs and toys, Christmas parties will cost more this year. But the French do not want inflation to darken on December 25: according to a study by the panelist NielsenIQ, 64% of the French intend to allocate the same budget this year as in 2021 to their Christmas purchases. Only one in four (26%) plan to cut spending and one in ten (11%) even plan to increase it. Most of this budget will go towards gifts (46%) and meals (30%).
Still, inflation rubs off on buying behavior. According to the study, 22% of the French have already started their Christmas shopping since mid-October (compared to 14% in 2021) -this figure rises to 25% when we ask families with children- and only 14% want to wait. until the last minute this year (versus 21% in 2021). The French are also very attentive to bargains: a third of them rely on Black Friday to buy gifts in advance and 38% plan to scrutinize special Christmas promotions in stores.
Enjoying Christmas with loved ones
For most of the French, Christmas remains an unavoidable celebration to meet family or friends for a meal. Almost six out of ten people (57%) believe that the most important thing is to celebrate Christmas with loved ones or enjoy the present moment, despite the rise in prices. Some, however, are cautious and believe that the most important thing this year is to reduce expenses (12%), reduce their energy or fuel consumption (6%)… or respect sanitary measures (4%).
Source: BFM TV
