Since 2014 Ferratum Group has been asking its European and Commonwealth customers to share their spending habits twice a year – once during the summer holidays and again just before Christmas. We want to see how much people spend on the holidays, what they spend it on, and how this differs between countries.
What gifts are most popular this year? Are we buying more online or is the High Street still winning the sales race this December? Who in Europe will be spending most over the festive season? For our fifth holiday survey we’re looking at Christmas spending in the FERRATUM CHRISTMAS BAROMETER 2016™.
THE LARGEST INTERNATIONAL CHRISTMAS SURVEY COMPARES CONSUMPTION IN 20 EUROPEAN AND COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES
Over 13 000 households participated Ferratum Group’s Christmas Barometer™ carried out succesively for the third year.
The European economy continues it’s slow economic recovery. The differences in relative consuming are flatened between countries compared to two previous Christmas Berometers conducted by Ferratum. Fifty per cent of the households are going to spend as much money as last Christmas for their gifts and celebrations, while six per cent of the households are increasing spending.
Largest European Economy is leading the way
According to Christmas Barometer™ the consuming is going to drop significantly in the United Kingdom compared to last Christmas. While in 2015 the British were planning to spend 38,5 per cent (€ 1145) of their household income for Christmas, this year the figure is only 23 per cent (€ 695).
Instead the Germans are consuming more than anyhere else in Europe or Commonwelth. People living in the largest European economy are willing to consume over 30 per cent (€ 807) of their households monthly income for Christmas this year. The figure is about 10 per cent more than a median family (22%) in all 20 countries that participated the survey.
Suprisingly Germany is followed by small Baltic countries, Lithuania and Estonia while the most parsimonious consumers can be found in Norway, Finland and Netherlands. In these welfare societies less than one fifth of the household’s income is allocated for Christmas spending this year.
For instance in Finland, Ferratum Group’s homeland, households spend around 15 % of available net income on Christmas purchases ( €468). In neighbourging Sweden, the respective number is significantly higher, with households spending around € 688 during Christmas, or 20 % of available net income for their Christmas.
Christmas holiday spending relative to disposable household income
SPENDING IN RELATION TO OTHER COUNTRIES
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Germany134 30.58%
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Lithuania133 30.3%
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Estonia126 28.66%
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Romania126 28.6%
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New Zealand117 26.61%
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Poland114 25.97%
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Spain111 25.29%
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Bulgaria104 23.57%
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UK103 23.41%
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All countries100 22.2%
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Australia95 21.59%
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Denmark93 21.07%
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Czech Republic92 20.97%
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Canada90 20.36%
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Sweden89 20.18%
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Latvia87 19.83%
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Croatia81 18.34%
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France72 16.35%
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Norway71 16.26%
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Finland68 15.43%
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Netherlands47 10.65%
European and Commontwealth Christmas spending 2016
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Toys & Games20%
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Clothing18%
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Consumer electronics12%
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Sweets and delicacies10%
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Cosmetics9%
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Gift cards7%
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Books6%
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Household utensils5%
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Sports & recreation gear4%
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Alcohol3%
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Travelling3%
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Well-being services, spa2%
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Musical instruments1%
Household Christmas holiday spending forecast 2016
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Less than last Christmas37%
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Same as last Christmas47%
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More than last Christmas16%
The index of online consuming is growing steadily
Even three quarters of the Christmas consuming is still done in traditional channels, the share of online is growing inescapably. According to Barometer the median households digital shopping for Christmas will grow from last years 21,6% to 24,5% this Christmas.
United Kingdom holds it’s insurmountable lead what comes to making shopping online. Over 40 per cent of the British Christmas shopping is done in the digital channels. Netherlands, Sweden, France, Czech Republic, Poland and Germany are over the all nations 24,5 % median share of online shopping.
Index of online purchases 2016
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UK41.4%
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Netherlands36%
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Sweden32.64%
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France29.57%
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Czech Republic29.29%
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Poland27.57%
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Germany24.9%
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All Countries24.54%
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Denmark23.83%
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Finland23.38%
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Canada22.67%
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Norway22.32%
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Spain21.52%
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Bulgaria21.07%
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Romania20.7%
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Lithuania19.39%
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Australia18.17%
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New Zealand17.73%
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Latvia15.79%
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Estonia15.42%
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Croatia14.91%
Top holiday spending behaviour in Europe and Commonwealth countries
Toys and games (20%), clothing (18%) and consumer electronics (12%) remain their position as most popular gift items. How ever there are interesting national differences compared to last Christmas.
This Christmas does not look too good for the publishers. From being the second popular over all gift item last year (15,5 %) the share of books is going to drop down to six per cent. Books hit the top five gift item only in Poland (10%) and Czech Republic (8%).
According to Christmas Barometer™ 2016 the Bulgarians, the Spanish and the Canadians prefer clothing purchases as gifts over other nations. More than 20 percent of the consumption is allocated on soft packages. The share of Toys and games is the largest in France (31%), Australia (26%) and Poland (23%). Suprisingly it seems that alcohol is consumed this Christmas only in Canada having four per cent share of Canadians consuming.

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Toys & Games18%
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Clothing17%
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Consumer electronics15%
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Gift cards8%
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Sweets and delicacies8%
- Spending in relation to other countries: 134 (FE group = 100)
- Spending relative to household income: 30.58% (807 €)
- Share of online purchases: 24.90%

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Toys & Games17%
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Cosmetics14%
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Sweets and delicacies13%
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Gift cards12%
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Clothing10%
- Spending in relation to other countries: 133 (FE group = 100)
- Spending relative to household income: 30.30% (583 €)
- Share of online purchases: 19.39%

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Toys & Games22%
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Cosmetics11%
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Sweets and delicacies11%
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Clothing10%
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Consumer electronics10%
- Spending in relation to other countries: 126 (FE group = 100)
- Spending relative to household income: 28.66% (571 €)
- Share of online purchases: 15.42%

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Clothing23%
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Toys & Games17%
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Consumer electronics16%
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Sweets and delicacies14%
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Household utensils13%
- Spending in relation to other countries: 126 (FE group = 100)
- Spending relative to household income: 28.60% (409 €)
- Share of online purchases: 20.70%

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Clothing23%
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Toys & Games20%
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Cosmetics14%
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Gift cards14%
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Consumer electronics9%
- Spending in relation to other countries: 117 (FE group = 100)
- Spending relative to household income: 26.61% (705 €)
- Share of online purchases: 17.73%

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Toys & Games23%
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Cosmetics20%
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Clothing14%
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Books10%
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Sweets and delicacies9%
- Spending in relation to other countries: 114 (FE group = 100)
- Spending relative to household income: 25.97% (472 €)
- Share of online purchases: 27.57%

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Clothing27%
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Toys & Games24%
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Consumer electronics18%
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Sports & recreation gear6%
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Books5%
- Spending in relation to other countries: 111 (FE group = 100)
- Spending relative to household income: 25.29% (646 €)
- Share of online purchases: 21.52%

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Clothing29%
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Toys & Games19%
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Consumer electronics11%
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Sweets and delicacies9%
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Cosmetics8%
- Spending in relation to other countries: 104 (FE group = 100)
- Spending relative to household income: 23.57% (286 €)
- Share of online purchases: 21.07%

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Clothing19%
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Toys & Games16%
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Consumer electronics11%
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Cosmetics11%
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Gift cards10%
- Spending in relation to other countries: 103 (FE group = 100)
- Spending relative to household income: 23.41% (695 €)
- Share of online purchases: 41.40%

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Toys & Games26%
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Clothing20%
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Consumer electronics13%
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Gift cards12%
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Sweets and delicacies7%
- Spending in relation to other countries: 95 (FE group = 100)
- Spending relative to household income: 21.59% (703 €)
- Share of online purchases: 18.17%

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Toys & Games22%
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Clothing22%
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Consumer electronics18%
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Gift cards13%
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Household utensils7%
- Spending in relation to other countries: 93 (FE group = 100)
- Spending relative to household income: 21.07% (455 €)
- Share of online purchases: 23.83%

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Toys & Games21%
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Clothing20%
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Consumer electronics17%
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Cosmetics14%
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Books8%
- Spending in relation to other countries: 92 (FE group = 100)
- Spending relative to household income: 20.97% (493 €)
- Share of online purchases: 29.29%

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Clothing27%
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Toys & Games21%
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Consumer electronics19%
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Gift cards15%
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Alcohol4%
- Spending in relation to other countries: 90 (FE group = 100)
- Spending relative to household income: 20.36% (679 €)
- Share of online purchases: 22.67%

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Toys & Games22%
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Clothing16%
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Gift cards14%
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Consumer electronics12%
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Sports & recreation gear9%
- Spending in relation to other countries: 89 (FE group = 100)
- Spending relative to household income: 20.18% (688 €)
- Share of online purchases: 32.64%

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Toys & Games22%
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Sweets and delicacies15%
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Consumer electronics13%
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Travelling11%
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Clothing8%
- Spending in relation to other countries: 87 (FE group = 100)
- Spending relative to household income: 19.83% (346 €)
- Share of online purchases: 15.79%

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Toys & Games19%
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Sweets and delicacies17%
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Clothing16%
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Cosmetics12%
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Household utensils11%
- Spending in relation to other countries: 81 (FE group = 100)
- Spending relative to household income: 18.34% (296 €)
- Share of online purchases: 14.91%

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Toys & Games31%
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Clothing17%
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Sweets and delicacies9%
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Gift cards7%
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Household utensils7%
- Spending in relation to other countries: 72 (FE group = 100)
- Spending relative to household income: 16.35% (470 €)
- Share of online purchases: 29.57%

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Clothing23%
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Toys & Games18%
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Gift cards16%
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Consumer electronics9%
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Well-being services, spa6%
- Spending in relation to other countries: 71 (FE group = 100)
- Spending relative to household income: 16.26% (800 €)
- Share of online purchases: 22.32%

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Toys & Games17%
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Clothing17%
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Sweets and delicacies11%
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Gift cards11%
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Consumer electronics11%
- Spending in relation to other countries: 68 (FE group = 100)
- Spending relative to household income: 15.43% (468 €)
- Share of online purchases: 23.38%

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Toys & Games18%
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Clothing17%
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Consumer electronics11%
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Gift cards9%
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Sweets and delicacies9%
- Spending in relation to other countries: 47 (FE group = 100)
- Spending relative to household income: 10.65% (379 €)
- Share of online purchases: 36%