LOYAL Sunderland shoppers will be spending on home turf in the run-up to this festive season, according to findings by a North East based market research company.
A piece of work carried out by MMC Research and Marketing looked into the spending habits of the people of the city.
And while 44 per cent of those asked admitted they have less than usual to spend this year, a resounding 81 per cent said they would be buying some of their gifts from retailers in the city.
MMC Research and Marketing works for a wide range of organisations from education establishments, fast-growing software firms through to social housing and health bodies to provide meaningful intel that can inform decision making.
Most recently it produced a report on the Christmas shopping habits of the people in Sunderland – with a number of surprising results.
Around 43 per cent of the households surveyed agreed that it’s “a struggle financially to make ends meet right now” with 44 per cent saying they had less to spend this year, 50 per cent had the same and only six per cent has more spending power.
Those results would go someway to explain why 82 per cent of the people who took part said they looked for discounts or offers when deciding what to buy.
According to MMC, only a handful – around seven per cent – of shoppers leave gift buying until the last minute – with the majority – 54 per cent – shopping for the festive season throughout the year.
Aware of the cost of Christmas, 32 per cent of people said they save throughout the year to be able to splurge while 27 per cent revealed they “muddle through, knowing money will be tight.”
Just 11 per cent pay for Christmas on credit, with most preferring to pay for items as they go.
Founder and CEO, Natasha McDonough, believes the findings make interesting reading and could also be of use to retailers planning their festive offers, campaigns and marketing.
“Everyone is aware of the impact of the cost of living crisis so it’s not surprising that most people say they have less to spend on Christmas this year,” said Natasha.
“It also highlights how canny Sunderland shoppers are when it comes to a discount or bargain and also their reluctance to rack up credit card debt.
“While this specific piece of work was around Christmas spending in Sunderland, we would imagine it’s a very similar picture in other towns and cities across the UK so it’s a very useful snapshot of what spending in the next few months could look like.”
Although based in Sunderland, MMC work across the UK, dealing with everyone from global brands to central government.
For further information visit www.mmc.agency