New Zealanders are approaching Christmas 2017 with greater financial forethought than in previous years, according to a new national survey from AMP Capital Shopping Centres (AMPCSC).
In its annual Christmas retail poll of nearly 1,200 respondents in Auckland, Tauranga and Christchurch, 34 per cent of respondents said they are buying fewer but more thoughtful gifts; 26 per cent have their Christmas presents well thought out and bought in advance (fewer people are planning a last-minute rush than in previous annual surveys); and 9 per cent expect to buy more presents than they did last year, and less than one in five people (18 per cent) expect to be a last-minute Christmas shopper.
More than two-thirds of respondents (68 per cent) said going to stores meant more careful selection.
With online retailer Amazon mooted to enter the New Zealand market via an Australian warehouse, the online retailer is on Kiwi shoppers’ minds.
More than a third (36 per cent) of respondents said they would still spend the same amount of time as usual shopping in store for Christmas gifts;
One in 10 would consider buying from Amazon to avoid the crowds at Christmas and 9 per cent would use Amazon for research purposes, browsing the site for ideas and then going in-store to buy gifts.
A majority of people will spend the most on their kids this Christmas with 68 per cent of respondents expected to spend more money on their child or children than on anyone else;
“The regular AMP Christmas survey is a useful yardstick of Kiwis’ feelings and attitudes going into the festive season,” said Emma Smith, AMP Regional centre manager.
“We polled hundreds of people in three major centres and were most interested to find that people are really thinking ahead this year, planning their shopping in advance and buying fewer gifts overall.
“With the recent reports about a possible Amazon warehouse in Australia that will service New Zealand, we were keen to ask Kiwis whether they expected this to change their shopping behaviour, and the answers were very enlightening. People obviously expect bricks-and-mortar retailers to be competitive on price and product range, but there is still no replacing the in-store experience, especially in the lead-up to Christmas.
“Where Amazon might help people in future is in that forward planning we’re seeing – more people this year are telling us they are doing their research online and getting into the shops early to avoid the last-minute madness.”
