For the first time since 2015 there are only three Saturdays in December before Christmas. 23% of Brits leave it until December to start shopping in store and online – leading to three hectic weekends, forecasts ParcelHero.
The final Saturday before Christmas has become known as ‘Super Saturday’ as Christmas shopping, both in store and online, reaches a crescendo. A quirk of the calendar means that December 2019, for the first time in four years, has just three Saturdays rather than four, before Christmas. That will turn every remaining pre-Christmas Saturday into ‘Super Saturdays’ predicts the home delivery expert ParcelHero, as four Saturday shops are squeezed into three.
ParcelHero’s Head of Consumer Research, David Jinks MILT, says:
‘Our research reveals 23% of shoppers – and yes, to fit the stereotype, they are mainly men – still don’t start any Christmas shopping until the calendar flips to December. With just three Saturdays to squeeze their present hunting in this year, many shoppers are going to be feverishly hitting High Streets and keypads over the next three weekends.’
Reveals David:
‘Retailers are anticipating Saturday 7th will be the fourth busiest day of Christmas, Saturday 14th the third busiest, and Saturday 21st the busiest day of all on the High Street. If you are shopping with retailers who have both town centre stores and good websites, it may well be worth considering staying at home and buying goods online. Super Saturdays will be less of a challenge for retailers with a multichannel approach to Christmas this year – and a far better experience for consumers.’
Explains David:
‘2015 was the last year with just three December Saturdays in the run in to Christmas day. It’s going to dawn on last-minute shoppers and anyone waiting for those final pre-Christmas bargains, that time is running out to spend a free Saturday browsing stores and websites. We predict High Street stores and – most worryingly for drivers – car parks are going to be extremely busy this year. With Christmas commotion expected for all three Saturdays, High Street shoppers should plan ahead to allow for extra queuing time.’
Concludes David:
‘Visiting your local town centre for some seasonal shopping, a mince pie and a drink or two is part of the whole Christmas experience; but be warned, High Streets will be heaving at weekends. If you decide to buy online instead, remember that some major stores’ deadlines for delivering before Christmas are as early as the 16th this year. Consult ParcelHero’s ever-popular (and free!) Christmas deadline tool for all the major retailers’ final online order dates. For the complete list see: https://www.parcelhero.com/events/christmas-gifts-delivery’.
