Santa gets stingy as parents cut costs
Children will receive fewer presents this Christmas than they did in
Dickensian Britain as a result of the recession, experts have reported.
One in three families across the UK are planning to cut the number of gifts for their kids by half in a bid to save money.
But it's not just children who will be affected. More than 37% of
couples will buy fewer presents for each other, and almost 38% of
families have agreed to cut out presents entirely.
It means children could bag less than two gifts each - a little less than they received in the 19th Century.
The results were published this week in Consumer Mums, a quarterly report into the spending habits of British mothers.
A
spokesman for market research company
OnePoll, which compiled the
report after surveying 2,500 mums from its 'MumPoll' panel, said: "We
have found that many families will be unable to splash out on expensive
toys this Christmas," he said.
''The global economic downturn, and
its knock-on effects, means parents are simply not able to afford
numerous presents for their children.
''Financial constraints also
mean that partners, grown-up family members, and work colleagues will
receive less this December 25.''
The report shows that 61%- or one in three - Britons will be actively looking to cut costs this Christmas.
34% of mums will buy fewer presents for their children, while 37 per cent of couples will exchange fewer gifts with partners. Only 13% of those mums surveyed said sufficient funds or savings meant their 'usual' Christmas would not be affected.
William
Higham, of OnePoll, added: ''For a great number of families, this
Christmas will be a very different affair with less presents and cards,
and fewer things on the dining room table.''
OnePoll is a leading-edge market research company. Its online panel comprises well over 100,000 people in the UK alone.
www.onepoll.com
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