Almost two-thirds of the country’s residents buy Christmas gifts online a few weeks before the holidays, while those with children tend to start their Christmas shopping the earliest. A survey commissioned by the parcel logistics company SmartPosti also revealed that Lithuanians tend to prepare for Christmas gifts earlier than Latvians or Estonians.
People leave themselves enough time
According to data from the survey conducted by Dentsu, about one-third of Baltic residents order Christmas gifts from online stores 1–2 months before the holidays. In Lithuania, as many as 37% of respondents gave this answer, compared to 33% in Latvia and 31% in Estonia.
A quarter of Lithuanians leave 2–4 weeks for online holiday shopping – the same share as in Latvia, but more than in Estonia (22%). Only 7% of Lithuania’s respondents shop during the final week before the holidays (9% in Estonia, 8% in Latvia).
“The survey showed that many Baltic residents leave themselves enough time when buying gifts online and can be confident that parcels will arrive before the holidays. Interestingly, women tend to order gifts earlier than men. Lithuanians are the earliest shoppers across the Baltics, and the most proactive planners are the youngest group of respondents – those aged 18–39,” says Justas Januškevičius, Head of Sales for the Baltics at the logistics company SmartPosti, commenting on the results.
Parcel volumes rise sharply
According to the logistics representative, before Christmas, parcel volumes typically increase several times compared to other seasons. Therefore, early shopping helps ensure gifts make it under the tree on time.
“When buying gifts online, timing is one of the most important factors. Being able to plan and purchase gifts in advance, without waiting for the last weeks or especially the last days, provides a major advantage. It ensures that deliveries arrive on time, delays are unlikely or insignificant, and the festive mood is not spoiled,” advises J. Januškevičius.
The survey also showed that where a person lives has almost no impact on how they plan their gift purchases. The SmartPosti sales manager explains that well-developed parcel delivery services operate both in major Baltic cities and in regions, resulting in similar pre-holiday shopping habits everywhere.
Lithuanians are the most likely to buy gifts in the Baltics
The survey revealed that people with children tend to prepare for Christmas surprises earlier. Meanwhile, among those without children, a larger share are people who do not buy Christmas gifts at all.
Among all Baltic countries, Estonia has the highest share of people who do not buy Christmas gifts – 15%. In Latvia, the figure is 11%, while in Lithuania it is just 7%. In Lithuania and Estonia, residents aged 50–59 are somewhat more likely not to buy gifts, while in Latvia this group is mainly those aged 30–39.
The Christmas shopping habits survey in the Baltic countries was conducted for SmartPosti by the research company Norstat from October 9 to 15. The survey questioned economically active residents aged 18 to 59. In total, 739 respondents from Lithuania, 736 from Latvia, and 751 from Estonia participated.