manchester christmas
Thursday, 22nd December 2005
Men more likely to be last minute shoppersTHOUSANDS of men will hit the shops on Christmas Eve in a last-minute search for gifts, research shows today. Male customers are six times more likely to shop on December 24 than women, according to a survey for National Savings and Investments (NS&I). This last-minute rush will extend to Christmas cards, with thousands of "e-cards" expected be sent by computer. Now that the last first-class posting date has passed, lycos.co.uk is predicting a flurry of emailed Christmas cards. The entertainment portal says around 246 million e-cards will be sent this festive season - up more than 30% on last year. Male well-wishers will account for 70% of the e-cards sent in the 48 hours before Christmas day, its survey shows. The Lycos online poll of 1,562 people at the end of November found that 71% of respondents planned to send their Christmas greetings by computer this year. Nearly half (49%) said they were happy to be emailed instead of sent a card, while 37% said they were sending more electronic greetings this year. One third of respondents said they only sent Christmas cards because it was expected, while 17% believed they were a waste of paper. Lycos UK spokeswoman Claire Foot said: "The internet is such an integral part of our lives that most of us are more than happy to receive emailed Christmas cards instead of postal versions." The eleventh hour shopping sprees come as many stores are cutting prices in a bid to draw in customers. Some shoppers are holding out for more pre-Christmas bargains, the CBI has warned. Stores are likely to be busy until close of business on December 24, analysts have said. The NS&I research shows that 48% of men spend more on Christmas presents than they budgeted for, while 25% mainly pay for gifts by credit card. NS&I sales director John Prout warned customers to plan ahead and stick to a budget. "Christmas tends to be a pricey time of year for most, and people can get especially carried away trying to find the perfect gift at the last minute," he said. The NS&I research is based on a MORI telephone survey of 1,020 people aged 16 and over between November 25 and 27.
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