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White House Correspondent
Last year saw a boom in sales of festive items traditionally aimed at children which were tweaked for adult tastes, according to data from a buy now, pay later provider.
Clearpay said there was a 31% rise in sales of advent calendars containing gin in the run-up to Christmas 2023, compared with the same period in 2022.
Sales of advent calendars aimed at women also jumped by 240% while there was a 463% uplift in sales of Christmas Eve boxes for adults.
Clearpay compared its search and sales data from October to December 2023 with the same period in 2022.
Some savvy shoppers are already ahead of the game
Rich Bayer, Clearpay
It also commissioned a survey of people who celebrate Christmas, which found more than half (52%) of adults give a festive stocking to their partner.
The most popular stocking fillers include sweet treats, socks, perfume and aftershave, accessories, and make-up and beauty products, according to the research released ahead of the 100-day countdown to Christmas from Monday.
Nearly a fifth (18%) of people surveyed said they have already started their Christmas shopping, with women (20%) being more likely than men (15%) to have already got into the festive spirit.
Rich Bayer, UK country manager at Clearpay, said: “Some savvy shoppers are already ahead of the game and are picking up sought-after items such as advent calendars.”
OnePoll surveyed 2,000 people across the UK in August and September who celebrate Christmas.
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