A study has found 22% of Brits will not buy a single expensive item for Christmas this year, opting instead for multiple smaller gifts
Brits are swapping out lavish presents for ‘micro gifting’ this Christmas, a study has found. The research revealed that 22% of participants have no plans to purchase a single expensive gift, choosing instead to shower their loved ones with an array of smaller presents.
This trend is driven by the desire to give more personalised and thoughtful gifts, affordability (as micro gifts often come with lower price tags), and the ease of spreading costs and budgeting more effectively. According to 39% of respondents, micro gifting is gaining traction, particularly among younger generations, with 36% believing Gen Z is leading the charge.
The survey of 2,000 adults was conducted by Virgin Money following the release of its autumn spend report, which details spending habits from September to November this year among its credit card customers.
Nick Martin, head of lending insights at Virgin Money, said: “Everyone loves opening presents on Christmas Day, but what really stands out is the move towards more thoughtful, personal gifts for friends and family. This trend is proving popular with both shoppers and recipients.”
Almost half (45%) of those surveyed said they’d recommend ‘micro gifting’ to friends and family due to its budget-friendly nature, its encouragement of thoughtfulness, and its fun and creative approach to surprising someone.
Thirty-eight percent believe that having more mini items to buy makes festive shopping more enjoyable. And what’s more, 17% would rather receive these than the 10% who’d choose a single, pricier gift.
Top mini presents include chocolates, snug socks and fragrant candles or diffusers. Other favoured gifts include bath salts, food and drink sets, as well as lip balms, hand creams, or hot chocolate sets.
The survey also revealed that people will purchase an average of five gifts per person this year, shelling out £49 in total, which is a decrease of £16 from £65 in 2024. However, over half (52%) confess they feel compelled to buy costly presents.
It also emerged that 57% kick off their Christmas shopping in November or earlier, with most (47%) aiming to wrap it up by mid-December.
Virgin Money’s spending trends report disclosed that their credit card customers splashed out £1.9 billion on purchases in September, October and November this year.
Nick Martin from the brand added: “Our customer spend data shows tech and electrical goods dominated spending in autumn, likely for Christmas gifts.
“We can see people were making the most of the recent Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, as our credit card customers made 1.2 million lifestyle purchases, the equivalent of seven per second, totalling £77m on Black Friday and Cyber Monday alone.
“Interestingly, overall spend for the quarter is down compared to the previous quarter, suggesting smaller, more thoughtful, budget-friendly gifts could be on the agenda this Christmas.”