Shoppers are set to spend an extra £7.5 billion in the UK’s small shops over the coming month, estimates AXA, and with most shoppers saying stress is their overriding emotion during Christmas shopping, they are turning to small retailers for a more enjoyable experience.
Consider the difference between visiting your local specialist wine merchant, who will take the time to discuss your choice and make interesting suggestions, often even offering tasters as opposed to the panic rush round the supermarket loading your trolley with labels that seem vaguely familiar.
Likewise buying cheeses at a delicatessen or farm shop is a wholly enjoyable taste tickling experience. When you buy meat from your local butcher he will know where it’s from, and you can be reassured about welfare standards, while getting cooking tips and suggestions on cuts you may not previously have tried.
Yes it takes more time than a supermarket trolley dash, but is so much more enjoyable.
Looking for that different gift? Local shops and markets will often have just the thing, and something you may not see elsewhere, all in all figures show that British shoppers are waking up to the benefits of shopping local.
According to AXA British households are set to spend an estimated £5.2 billion on presents from local shops over the Christmas period. Specialist food and drink retailers are also set to benefit from a further £2.3 billion boost from shoppers planning to do their main spend locally.
These figures are likely to be on the conservative side, comments the insurer, as eight out of ten Britons say they always exceed their original budget once the festive season is in full swing.
When asked how they feel about Christmas shopping, Britons report an adrenalin rush of stress (65 per cent) and excitement (34 per cent). Crowds are named the main source of anxiety during shopping.
Small shops were voted the most enjoyable place to do Christmas shopping after markets and fairs, with just 23 per cent saying they prefer big stores, and 17 per cent saying Christmas shopping is not enjoyable anywhere.
Seventy seven per cent of people surveyed said they would attend a Christmas event if it were organised by a local shop owner. The most popular were those that offered some time out from the hubbub: a quarter would sign up to a Christmas ghost walk and 21 per would attend a stargazing night.
Contrary to popular myth, nine in ten shoppers do enjoy hearing Christmas tunes when they are out and about. But, people rated slower songs most highly: The Pogues classic Fairytale of New York was the favourite song to both hear and sing during Christmas karaoke, followed by White Christmas. Least popular is Mariah Carey’s upbeat All I Want for Christmas Is You.
“Christmas shopping can be magical and exciting, but everyone has experienced that feeling of overload, especially when scouring noisy shopping centres for last minute presents,” comments Darrell Sansom, Managing Director at AXA Business Insurance, a leading insurer of independent retailers.
“Small shops can offer an antidote to the manic buying seen elsewhere. Christmas markets have taken off massively in recent years, and people are very open to community events at this time of year. Small shops can benefit by organising things like walks, choir services and family events, especially those that put a bit of magic and mystery back.
“Just make sure that any extra stock and temporary staff are all covered by your insurance policy. A good policy will offer a stock uplift at this time of year, and temporary staff should automatically be covered for a certain number of days per year under your employers’ liability policy. It’s a good idea to check your policy terms and contact your insurer if there are any gaps.”
AXA Business Insurance automatically increases stock cover on its policies by 30 per cent during the months of November and December. Employers’ liability policies offer 50 days cover for temporary staff each year and can be extended.