Survey: Domestic retailers’ Christmas season doesn’t look so bleak – more than half of Finns keep their Christmas budgets unchanged

According to Matkahuolto’s consumer survey, Finns will spend a lot again this Christmas, and domestic online stores may expect more sales. When buying presents, the focus is on the recipient’s preferences and affordability.

The upcoming Christmas season and the behaviour of Finnish consumers is of interest to many. Trade and logistics indices show that e-commerce sales are falling, the economic situation of consumers is uncertain, and the number of parcels is decreasing. The sending of parcels is a cyclical business.

Matkahuolto surveyed Finnish consumers’ intentions and plans for spending and shopping in the upcoming Christmas season.

According to the survey, despite inflation and the weak economic outlook, Finnish consumers do not seem willing to cut much on their Christmas shopping. According to Matkahuolto’s survey, 57% of Finns say their Christmas present budget remains unchanged.

When buying presents, the focus is on the needs and preferences of the recipient and affordability. The average amount spent on Christmas presents is €233, and the value of a single present is around €66.

Finns tend to spend more on presents for their spouses and children, while presents for themselves and friends are being cut back in a tightening economy. The emphasis on presents for children is also reflected in the most popular categories: toys and games are the items most likely to be bought. Other favourites include fashion and clothing and various gift vouchers for services.

“Even though the recent economic news has been gloomy, people want to spend on Christmas presents. Consumers look for the best places to buy and make selective purchases. This also gives hope to the domestic online trade, as there is still a big pot of money to be divided," says Kati Nevalainen, Director of Matkahuolto’s Parcel Services division.

Matkahuolto’s figures suggest that the number of parcels will be similar to last year’s Christmas

According to the survey, Finns are spreading their end-of-year shopping over a wider period from October to December, and the pending economic situation is making respondents uncertain about the big shopping days towards the end of the year. Up to 43% of Finns are unsure whether they will take advantage of the Black Friday discounts for Christmas shopping.

Matkahuolto’s own figures show that parcel volumes for the Christmas season will remain at last year’s level.

“According to the Traficom report, the overall volume of parcels has decreased in Finland. However, there has been a slight increase in the number of parcels carried by Matkahuolto, so our market share has increased, considering the development of the market as a whole. We estimate that we will carry slightly more parcels this Christmas season than last year. We started preparing for the season well in advance, right at the beginning of the year," says Nevalainen.

Brick-and-mortar stores hold their ground in the Christmas trade – domestic online stores most popular

Brick-and-mortar stores hold their ground as the most popular place to buy presents. 64% of respondents say they buy presents from brick-and-mortar stores. The reasons given for preferring brick-and-mortar stores are the Christmas rush and last-minute shopping (20%), and the desire to experience the Christmas atmosphere in the store (26%).

Although brick-and-mortar stores have retained their popularity during the Christmas season, people are also buying presents online. The main advantages of online shopping are avoiding crowds and congestion (66%), a wider selection and easy price comparison (36%).

More than half of Finns plan to shop from domestic online stores, while it is rare to concentrate shopping in foreign online stores: only 3% of respondents plan to buy Christmas presents only from foreign online stores.

Although Prisma (26%), Verkkokauppa.com (24%) and Tokmanni (25%) are by far the most popular online stores in the survey, international online stores such as Zalando and Temu (12%) also appear on the list. Chinese shops in particular are rising fast.

New experiences and customer satisfaction are key to Christmas shopping. Physical stores offer a Christmas feeling and on-the-spot shopping, while online stores focus on avoiding congestion and comparing options.

According to the survey, 48% of Finns choose a shop based on getting good customer service in case of problems. A third of respondents want to influence the delivery of their online shopping in transit, and up to three out of four prefer parcel lockers because flexible deliveries and pick-ups are important to them.