United Kingdom (UK) All Year Gifting Retail Market – Analyzing Trends, Consumer Attitudes, Occasions and Key Players

United Kingdom (UK) All Year Gifting Retail Market Report Overview

The all year gifting retail market in the United Kingdom (UK) increased in 2023 with over 94% of consumers confirming that they had bought a gift in 2023. This is an improvement as compared to the growth during the last two years. Consumers are still recovering from the impact of persistent inflation post the COVID-19 pandemic. The UK All year gifting 2023 report forms part of GlobalData’s Retail Occasions series, and offers a comprehensive insight into the consumer dynamics and spending habits of consumers for year-round gifting occasions, such as birthdays, weddings, and new babies among others. The report analyses the market, the major players, the main trends, and consumer attitudes.

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UK All Year Gifting Retail Market Trends

Some of the key companies in the gifting retail sector have been introducing various initiatives to strengthen their sales to recover from losses that occurred due to the pandemic. For instance, known for its trendy and chic products, Oliver Bonas stocked a range of gifts including homewares, jewelry, and clothing. Similarly, Scribbler also offered a range of smaller gifts, such as cards and mini-DIY creative kits which encourage shoppers to make impulsive add-on purchases.

These market players are also making significant digital presence to attract millennial consumers engaging more in online shopping. For instance, John Lewis & Partners’ user-friendly website organised its impressive range of gifts by occasion, recipient, theme, price, product category and popularity, facilitating purchases both from customers with a specific gift in mind and those looking for inspiration. Moonpig’s selection of gifts boasts big brand names such as LEGO, Disney, and Cath Kidston, making it an appealing and reliable retailer, though as customers are increasingly price-conscious it should do more to advertise more affordable options.

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UK All Year Gifting Retail Market Segments

The key segments in the UK all-year gifting retail market are birthdays, spontaneous gifting, weddings/engagements, pregnancy/new baby, religious ceremonial occasions, life achievements, retirement, and gratitude among others. In 2023, birthdays emerged as the most popular occasion among consumers to buy gifts. This occasion was followed by wedding/engagement occasions and pregnancy/new baby occasions. For the birthday gifting segment, value for money, price, and quality were the key reasons for purchase. Most of the birthday gifting spent was for spouses/partners. Some of the key birthday gifting categories included clothing & accessories, books, toys & games, health & beauty, and vouchers among others. Clothing & accessories were the most preferred birthday gifting category mostly purchased from supermarkets or online through laptops/desktops.

UK All Year Gifting Retail Market Analysis by Segments, 2023 (%)

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UK All Year Gifting Retail Market – Competitive Landscape

Some of the leading retailers in the UK all year gifting retail market are Card Factory, Clintons, WH Smith, Marks & Spencer, John Lewis & Partners, Tesco, Sainsburys, Waitrose & Partners, Morrisons, and Amazon among others. In 2023, Card Factory was ranked the highest by consumers and emerged as the most popular retailer used for both greeting cards and gift wrap purchases. The company has been rated the best in terms of range, price, display, and how interesting its products are.

UK All Year Gifting Retail Market Analysis by Retailers, 2023 (%)

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Key Segments Covered in this Report

UK All Year Gifting Retail Segment Outlook (%, 2023)

• Birthdays
• Spontaneous Gifting
• Weddings/Engagements
• Pregnancy/New Baby
• Religious
• Life Achievements
• Retirement
• Gratitude

Scope

• While more people are purchasing for all year gifting, spending across most categories was down in 2022, with those buying for retirement/leaving occasions being the hardest hit as consumers prioritize family and close friends over work colleagues.

• Having suffered during the pandemic, spending on experiences, such as spa days, has rebounded in 2022. Consumers have returned to purchasing meals out, gift experiences, and event tickets for loved ones which were harder for gift recipients to take advantage of in 2021.

• Amazon proved most popular among all year gifting shoppers for the second consecutive year in 2022. This was an impressive performance given that Amazon was up against a strong comparative.

Key Highlights

• Shopping for wedding gifts and souvenirs both increased in 2023 as consumers took advantage of being able to go on holiday and the post-pandemic wedding boom came to fruition.
• Consumers turned to finance options to spend beyond their means on cards & gifts this year, with credit card usage, buy now pay later finance options both increasing in 2022.
• Card Factory proved most popular among all year gifting shoppers, ranked highest by consumers for its promotions of gifts & cards.

Reasons to Buy

• Understand the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on consumers’ attitudes and shopping behaviors.
• Understand what drives consumers to use a retailer for their purchases, such as convenience, value for money, and delivery options to maximize sales potential.
• Use our in-depth consumer insight to learn which areas within all year gifting shopping are most important to ensure that product offers are catering to the needs and wants of customers – for example, whether consumers believe they should give a card and/or gift for a certain occasion.