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Each Brit spends an average of 882 hours Christmas shopping, purchasing 1,386 presents across a lifetime, according to a new survey commissioned by online retailer Amazon to mark the launch of the Christmas Shop and Gift Finder on Amazon.co.uk.
Across the average adult lifetime, Brits will receive 630 presents and travel, on average, 20,097 miles to get home during the festive period.
Christmas is also a time for perennial foodie favourites, with 504 mince pies and 1,008 sprouts eaten over the course of our adult life. We each hang 1,827 baubles on our Christmas trees and pull 252 crackers around the table.
The research also delved into the nation’s Christmas gift buying habits to reveal that partners and spouses were voted by 46% of respondents as the best present buyers, followed by mothers (27%) taking the second spot and then daughters (17%).
While the average UK adult will buy 22 presents this Christmas, those in Oxford are the most generous, splashing out on 33 gifts each for their friends and family, followed by the residents of Sheffield, who purchase an average of 26 presents. Closely behind are the people of Manchester and Newcastle upon Tyne who buy on average 25 gifts each.
Of those polled, some of the best gifts ever received included a diamond ring, designer shoes and a holiday of a lifetime to New York. Almost two-thirds (64%) said they prefer their presents to be a surprise. Some of the more bizarre gifts respondents have received over the years including a turnip fridge magnet, a bath plug and an ironing board cover.
Across the UK, almost half (48%) of Brits carry out all their Christmas shopping online, with those polled citing ease of browsing online as the top reason for doing so, followed by saving time and the wide variety of products available.
The poll also revealed that over a quarter (27%) of UK adults still receive a Christmas stocking, with chocolate coins (59%) taking the top spot as the must-have stocking filler, followed by satsumas (39%), socks (23%) and miniature toiletries (17%).
Amazon.co.uk Christmas marketing manager Sam Lulla said: “From decking the halls to driving home for Christmas, it’s fascinating to see just how much time the UK spends putting together their perfect Christmas over the course of a lifetime.
“We know that finding everything you need for the festive season, and in particular the perfect gift, can be a challenge, which is why we have launched our dedicated Christmas Shop and Gift Finder to make shopping even easier and free up as much time as possible for customers to spend celebrating with friends and family.”
According to Amazon, in a lifetime of Christmases, the average Brit will…
- Purchase 1,386 gifts (22 per year)
- Spend 882 hours Christmas shopping (14 hours a year)
- Receive 630 Christmas presents (10 per year)
- Travel 20,097 miles home and back for Christmas (319 miles per year)
- Hang 1,827 Christmas baubles (29 per year)
- Consume 1,008 sprouts (16 per year)
- Enjoy 504 mince pies (8 per year)
- Pull 252 Christmas crackers (4 per year)
- Attend 126 Christmas parties (2 per year)
- Listen to 1,008 hours of Christmas songs (16 hours per year)
- Wear 63 new party outfits (1 per year)
- Attend 63 carol services (1 per year)
