A new survey has revealed that a fifth of Brits have apparently already started doing their Christmas shopping this year.
As much as many of us find ourselves running around the shops like headless chickens on Christmas Eve in a bid to buy all those last-minute gifts we forgot, on the flip side of that, we all know a few organised people who like to get their presents bought and wrapped well in advance so they can enjoy a relatively stress-free festive season.
But is October just a bit too early to start? Apparently not for 21% of Brits
According to a new survey by American Express, a surprising number adults who celebrate or shop for Christmas in the UK have already started buying things for the festive period.
A fifth of Brits have apparently already started doing their Christmas shopping / Credit: Heidi Fin (via Unsplash)
The survey found that, when it comes to present inspiration, nearly half (47%) of Christmas shoppers will be getting gifting ideas from their loved ones themselves, while more than half (56%) of the Gen Z age group surveyed claiming they’ll be looking to social media ads, and influencers and content creators, for suggestions.
There’s also varying responses when it comes to the type of presents people are planning to hand out this Christmas – with 87% of respondents saying will buy physical gifts, but 37% choosing to purchase experiences instead.
And it’s not just presents for others on the agenda either, as the research showed that almost a quarter (23%) are planning to get gifts for themselves too.
It’s all according to an interesting new consumer survey / Credit: Lore Schodts (via Unsplash)
Of course though, while many people have already got a head-start on Christmas shopping this year, it seems there’s a good chunk who’ll still be leaving it late.
Four in 10 survey respondents admitted they will probably only finish their festive gift shopping with just one week to go before the big day, while one in 10 (10%) did reveal they will likely risk leaving it until the day before they give them out.
“As we approach the festive period, it’s no surprise to see Brits getting prepared,” explained Dave Edwards, who is the Vice President of Demand Generation at American Express, “with more than 20% of respondents having already started their festive shopping.”
Featured Image – Freestocks (via Unsplash)
Shopping
Urban Outfitters is FINALLY opening at The Trafford Centre
Daisy Jackson
Shoppers’ prayers have been answered – The Trafford Centre is finally getting an Urban Outfitters.
Despite being a staple retailer on the high street, there’s never been an Urban Outfitters at the iconic shopping centre before.
Instead, fans have had to rely on the huge three-storey store on Market Street in the city centre.
The American brand is famed for its trend-led fashion pieces, vintage and retro items, and its homeware and lifestyle pieces.
Urban Outfitters typically have thrift-shop-inspired interiors too, with industrial fixtures and custom-made display units.
And now, all that looks set to open in The Trafford Centre soon, with huge hoardings now up for a unit on the first floor, right next to John Lewis.
It follows a busy summer of openings at the major shopping centre, which have included a supersized Zara concept store and neighbouring new openings for Pull & Bear and Bershka.
Viral toy retailer Pop Mart, home of the Labubus, has also recently opened its doors there.
There’s also a new-look section of the food court, home to a Hello Oriental, Chit n Chaat, Blanchflower and more.
And across the way at Trafford Palazzo is that massive new Primark Home, the first in Great Britain.
Shoppers have been begging for an Urban Outfitters to open at The Trafford Centre for more than a decade.
Tweets going back as far as 2010 say things like: “Do I need to start a petition for Urban Outfitters to open at the Trafford centre?”
Another person wrote: “trafford centre just needs to grow up and put an urban outfitters in it”
And someone else said: “Where in Trafford centre is urban fking outfitters?!”
An opening date hasn’t yet been announced, but watch this space.
12 exciting new openings you NEED to know about at Cheshire Oaks over this past year
Emily Sergeant
Cheshire Oaks is already the UK’s largest designer outlet, but it’s been getting even bigger and better this past year.
Since originally opening back in 1995, the iconic shopping destination has gone from strength to strength over the past 30 years, having been extended on a number occasions to now boast more than 400,000 sq ft of retail space.
With over 4,000 employees and more than 21 million items sold annually across 140 stores and 19 food outlets, it’s safe to say Cheshire Oaks stands as the go-to destination in North West – and if it wasn’t already a shopper’s paradise enough as it is, 12 businesses have either opened their doors or had a refurb at the Designer Outlet within this past year.
If you were thinking of planning a trip to Cheshire Oaks, then now couldn’t be a more ideal time, so let us bring you up to speed on everything you may have missed.
We popped over recently to check out all the new openings.
Nike
There’s not much we need to say about Nike, really.
It’s already a world-famous sportswear brand, and has been a popular presence at Cheshire Oaks for a good number of years now, but late last year in October, the store had itself a show-stopping upsized refit, and is now the largest Nike outlet in the UK, so it’s well worth a visit.
PANGAIA
This is an exciting one, as this is the only Pangaia outlet store in the UK.
Opening its doors at Cheshire Oaks in early November last year, PANGAIA is an ethical clothing and lifestyle brand that designs products for ‘living in’, and prides itself of producing products with smart technology and using as many sustainable materials as possible.
Lindt
Lindt was already a go-to destination for chocolate lovers at Cheshire Oaks, but last summer, it moved to a bigger – and many would say, better – new location at the outlet, and has been satisfying the sweet tooth of thousands of shoppers this year.
The new location has an ice cream window, and was even one of the first few stores to get the limited-edition Dubai Pistachio Chocolate when it first released.
Nike, Joe & The Juice, and Lindt are three of the brands to open new or bigger stores at Cheshire Oaks / Credit: The Manc Group
Joe & the Juice
You may remember that Joe & The Juice opened its doors in Manchester city centre early this year, and it was a huge deal, with juice and Tunacado-loving fans lining the streets to become one of the first to step inside – but before that, the viral brand actually arrived at Cheshire Oaks fist.
Joe & The Juice opened at Cheshire Oaks last August, making it the brand’s first outlet location at the time, and it’s the perfect place to stop off for a bite to eat.
Gail’s
Another viral brand to open its first-ever outlet location at Cheshire Oaks last year was Gail’s Bakery, bringing its artisan bakes into the heart of the shopping experience and providing customers with a comforting place to refuel.
The opening of Gail’s at Cheshire Oaks last October was one of a number of other North West openings, including several in Greater Manchester and Cheshire.
Crocs
Arguably no brand has had a bigger resurgence these past couple of years than Crocs, which is why it was such a big deal that the first dedicated Crocs store to open in the UK since its return to the country was at Cheshire Oaks last summer.
Opening its doors in June 2024, Cheshire Oaks’ Crocs store is the perfect place to hit up if you’re looking for a pair of your own.
Viral bakery chain Gail’s, and English luxury clothing brand Sunspel have also opened doors / Credit: The Manc Group
Barbour
Barbour is a family-owned British heritage brand that was established in the North East of England all the way back in 1894, and since then, has gone on to become a beloved part of the country’s fashion landscape.
So it was only right that Barbour got to move into an even bigger and better store at Cheshire Oaks last summer.
Abercrombie & Fitch
We may have already talked about one brand’s big resurgence, but Abercrombie & Fitch is another global label that’s also been enjoying renewed popularity in recent years – so it only made sense that it would open an outlet location at Cheshire Oaks.
The American fashion brand known for its trendy, collegiate-inspired casualwear and accessories opened last November.
Sunspel
Founded in Nottingham back in 1860, Sunspel is an English luxury clothing brand that’s best known for boxer shorts, t-shirts, and polo shirts, and it opened its first and only outlet location over at Cheshire Oaks last August.
You can also shop inside new Abercrombie & Fitch, ESPA, and Crocs stores / Credit: The Manc Group
ESPA
A staple in spas nationwide, ESPA is a well-loved luxury skincare brand producing products that go beyond the everyday skincare regimen to nourish and nurture your skin – but up until April of this year, you could only ever find the products online or in spas themselves.
That was until ESPA opened its first-ever – and to this day, only – physical store at Cheshire Oaks, and it’s so stunning inside.
Kids Around
Cheshire Oaks isn’t just a Designer Outlet for grown-ups, its a kids’ shopping paradise too.
That’s why Kids Around opened its doors last June with a ‘unique experience’ bringing together the most beautiful high-end children’s fashion collections – with brands such as Givenchy, Marc Jacobs, Kenzo Kids, Hugo Boss, and Chloé to choose from.
Chit ‘n’ Chaat
Chit ‘n’ Chaat is an absolute Manchester institution at this point – no arguments there.
The beloved Indian street food restaurant is Manchester born and bred, and already has a number of popular locations in places like Cheadle, Rusholme, Deansgate Square, and most-recently the Trafford Centre, but in case you didn’t know, it also opened a new site at Cheshire Oaks earlier this year in April too.
So if you’re looking for a place to stuff your face before shopping till you drop, then stop off here for a proper Indian feast.
Emily Sergeant -
17th October 2024 
