On average, six gifts are bought for Christmas in this country, two of them online – but this time there are also savings: everyone is spending 20 euros less than last year; makes a total of 285 million in sales.
Some things never change, they say – which is why retailers are surprised by this: For years it has been the case that the proportion of late shoppers – those who only start running through the shops in the second half of December, bathed in sweat – has increased. But this time This proportion is likely to fall to a “historic low” of 40 percent. It is already becoming apparent that the cash registers will start ringing in the second half of November. The late buyer spends a lot. It is precisely the late buyer who spends a lot of money in a short period of time. Speaking of a lot of money: According to the traditional survey by the Chamber of Commerce, nine out of ten Styrians want to buy Christmas presents this year – but they want to spend significantly less than last year. On average it is 290 euros, instead of 310 in 2022, which changes hands over the counter. The glorious Christmas seasons, with an average of 370 each, occurred in the pre-Corona years of 2017/18/19, “then things went down significantly due to Corona and additional upheavals,” says Gerhard Wohlmuth, department spokesman for the retail sector. A fifth completely changes their shopping behavior and says clearly that savings have to be made this year. “It was rather surprising to us that 36 percent said: ‘Regardless of the situation, I won’t miss Christmas,’” says Wolfgang Ziniel from SME Research. What else is noticeable this year: Styrians are very hungry for discounts pronounced, but sustainability is taken into account; At least one in five people think this is important. And: The voucher slides down in the popularity list. Gerhard Wohlmuth: “It was extremely in demand during Corona times and afterwards because no one knew when you could shop.” Now it’s clothing that leads the ranking. Further (positive) results from the SME study, which is based on 300 surveys: Every second person wants to buy more in local shops this year. Sales two percent above the monthly average. Of the six gifts that are purchased on average, this happens with two via the Internet; It is difficult to say how much of this goes abroad. “But Styrian retailers have also massively expanded their online offerings,” says Gerhard Wohlmuth with satisfaction. And warns: “Please buy regionally! To secure jobs.” What may be surprising is that in December sales are only 2 percent above the monthly average! “That may not sound like much,” says Wohlmuth, “but it can be the deciding factor as to whether a trading year will be good or not.”
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