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
-
Germany
134
30.58%
-
Lithuania
133
30.3%
-
Estonia
126
28.66%
-
Romania
126
28.6%
-
New Zealand
117
26.61%
-
Poland
114
25.97%
-
Spain
111
25.29%
-
Bulgaria
104
23.57%
-
UK
103
23.41%
-
All countries
100
22.2%
-
Australia
95
21.59%
-
Denmark
93
21.07%
-
Czech Republic
92
20.97%
-
Canada
90
20.36%
-
Sweden
89
20.18%
-
Latvia
87
19.83%
-
Croatia
81
18.34%
-
France
72
16.35%
-
Norway
71
16.26%
-
Finland
68
15.43%
-
Netherlands
47
10.65%
European and Commontwealth Christmas spending 2016
-
Toys & Games
20%
-
Clothing
18%
-
Consumer electronics
12%
-
Sweets and delicacies
10%
-
Cosmetics
9%
-
Gift cards
7%
-
Books
6%
-
Household utensils
5%
-
Sports & recreation gear
4%
-
Alcohol
3%
-
Travelling
3%
-
Well-being services, spa
2%
-
Musical instruments
1%
Household Christmas holiday spending forecast 2016
-
Less than last Christmas
37%
-
Same as last Christmas
47%
-
More than last Christmas
16%
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
-
UK
41.4%
-
Netherlands
36%
-
Sweden
32.64%
-
France
29.57%
-
Czech Republic
29.29%
-
Poland
27.57%
-
Germany
24.9%
-
All Countries
24.54%
-
Denmark
23.83%
-
Finland
23.38%
-
Canada
22.67%
-
Norway
22.32%
-
Spain
21.52%
-
Bulgaria
21.07%
-
Romania
20.7%
-
Lithuania
19.39%
-
Australia
18.17%
-
New Zealand
17.73%
-
Latvia
15.79%
-
Estonia
15.42%
-
Croatia
14.91%
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.
Germany -
Toys & Games
18%
-
Clothing
17%
-
Consumer electronics
15%
-
Gift cards
8%
-
Sweets and delicacies
8%
Lithuania-
Toys & Games
17%
-
Cosmetics
14%
-
Sweets and delicacies
13%
-
Gift cards
12%
-
Clothing
10%
Estonia-
Toys & Games
22%
-
Cosmetics
11%
-
Sweets and delicacies
11%
-
Clothing
10%
-
Consumer electronics
10%
Romania-
Clothing
23%
-
Toys & Games
17%
-
Consumer electronics
16%
-
Sweets and delicacies
14%
-
Household utensils
13%
New Zealand-
Clothing
23%
-
Toys & Games
20%
-
Cosmetics
14%
-
Gift cards
14%
-
Consumer electronics
9%
Poland-
Toys & Games
23%
-
Cosmetics
20%
-
Clothing
14%
-
Books
10%
-
Sweets and delicacies
9%
Spain-
Clothing
27%
-
Toys & Games
24%
-
Consumer electronics
18%
-
Sports & recreation gear
6%
-
Books
5%
Bulgaria-
Clothing
29%
-
Toys & Games
19%
-
Consumer electronics
11%
-
Sweets and delicacies
9%
-
Cosmetics
8%
UK-
Clothing
19%
-
Toys & Games
16%
-
Consumer electronics
11%
-
Cosmetics
11%
-
Gift cards
10%
Australia
Denmark-
Toys & Games
22%
-
Clothing
22%
-
Consumer electronics
18%
-
Gift cards
13%
-
Household utensils
7%
Czech Republic-
Toys & Games
21%
-
Clothing
20%
-
Consumer electronics
17%
-
Cosmetics
14%
-
Books
8%
Canada-
Clothing
27%
-
Toys & Games
21%
-
Consumer electronics
19%
-
Gift cards
15%
-
Alcohol
4%
Sweden-
Toys & Games
22%
-
Clothing
16%
-
Gift cards
14%
-
Consumer electronics
12%
-
Sports & recreation gear
9%
Latvia-
Toys & Games
22%
-
Sweets and delicacies
15%
-
Consumer electronics
13%
-
Travelling
11%
-
Clothing
8%
Croatia-
Toys & Games
19%
-
Sweets and delicacies
17%
-
Clothing
16%
-
Cosmetics
12%
-
Household utensils
11%
France-
Toys & Games
31%
-
Clothing
17%
-
Sweets and delicacies
9%
-
Gift cards
7%
-
Household utensils
7%
Norway-
Clothing
23%
-
Toys & Games
18%
-
Gift cards
16%
-
Consumer electronics
9%
-
Well-being services, spa
6%
Finland-
Toys & Games
17%
-
Clothing
17%
-
Sweets and delicacies
11%
-
Gift cards
11%
-
Consumer electronics
11%
Netherlands-
Toys & Games
18%
-
Clothing
17%
-
Consumer electronics
11%
-
Gift cards
9%
-
Sweets and delicacies
9%
How was Ferratum Group Christmas Barometer 2016 ™ conducted?
• The survey was conducted for Ferratum Group’s active customers in 20 countries across Europe and Commonwealth countries as a web survey with a standardised questionnaire for all locations. Incomes are stated in local currency and relative Christmas consuming is calculated as a ratio of family’s monthly disposable income in each country. Disposable incomes were adjusted by each country, individual purchasing power parity based on 2014 figures by The World Bank.
• 13 261 households participated in the survey. Respondents were aged between 18 and 65 and 49.64% were women. The average available net income of participating households in these 20 countries was € 230 – € 6720. The avarage household size among the respondents was 2.59 persons.
• In addition to demographic factors, respondents were asked about disposable monthly net income, how much they spend on their Christmas, which activities they spend their money on, how much shopping they do online.
• The surveys used each country’s respective currency. Responses were evened out to reflect the respective purchasing power of each country. All survey respondents were anonymous.
FERRATUM GROUP – A pioneer in Financial Technology and mobile lending
Ferratum Oyj – listed in the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange – offers a fast and easy to use mobile lending and banking services for consumers and businesses. Ferratum Bank Plc, a subsidiary of Ferratum Oyj has recently launched its revolutionary Mobile Bank in Sweden, Norway and Germany.
Managed by its founder Jorma Jokela, Ferratum has expanded rapidly since its foundation in 2005. The Group has 1.5 million active and former customers who have been granted one or more loans and 4.3 million user accounts in its database. Ferratum is represented in 23 markets in Europe, Americas and the APAC regions and has its headquarters in Helsinki, Finland. In 2015 the Group Revenue reached EUR 111 m with a profit (EBIT) of EUR 16.5 m.
A leading Mobile Bank with revolutionary features
The Ferratum Mobile Bank is now available for Swedish, Norwegian and German residents and will be scaled to other European countries with revolutionary features: An account opening in five minutes, multicurrency debit card, up to 15 currency accounts, real time transactions within the European Economic Area, savings account and term deposits with competitive interest rates as well as real time mobile loans.
Ferratum products and services
The strategy is based on geographical expansion, further product diversification and the Mobile Bank. Ferratum offers fast, easy and hassle-free loans to consumers. The services can be accessed online and on mobile devices, and a loan decision is usually made within minutes. Customers can apply for credit amounts between EUR 50 and EUR 5.000. Ferratum also offers instalment loans to small businesses with a successful track record.
The banking sector is changing rapidly. Recent studies show that the usage of mobile banking solutions will increase significantly by worldwide growth of smartphone usage and change in consumer behaviour. With longstanding expertise in the area of mobile lending services, Ferratum is well positioned to be established as a mobile bank in the age of digital revolution.
Ferratum customers
Ferratum customer base comprises a wide cross-section of our markets’ populations. The typical Ferratum customer represents a middle class household. Our customers are nearly equally divided between men and women. We have active users among all age demographics. Couples with children represent 42 % of Ferratum Customers while the share of singles is 35 %. Two thirds of Ferratum customers have full time employment.
Uniting our clients is usually the wish to get an easy, quick, anonymous and an unbureaucratic bridging loan. The product usage is as follows: invoice (39%), impulse (36%), hobbies (11%), restaurant (8%), paying depts (3%) and other (4%).
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