Barbara Geier: How’s the Christmas shopping going?

Super organised and all done or the last-minute type who’ll rush out the day before to madly dash in and out of shops? Based on a survey carried out by eBay Advertising, the majority of Germans by now seems to be very keen on doing away with those physical stresses of Christmas shopping altogether, avoiding crowded streets and retail oulets altogether in favour of the internet:

This year, 61 percent of German consumers aged 18 and over are buying their presents online, says eBay’s German ‘Christmas Shopping Report 2024’. Every second person starts their search on online marketplaces, followed by 36 percent who consult search engines and 31 percent who browse the online shops of individual brands. The survey also comes up with some Christmas shopping trends that are overall not too surprising: More than a quarter of Germans (27 percent) plan to opt for the good-old voucher for shared experiences such as events or restaurant visits. The most popular physical items are books (17 percent), toys (16 percent), clothing, shoes and sports items (13 per cent) as well as electronic items and gadgets (12 percent).

More interestingly, the report suggests that there are regional differences in preferred gifts. Thuringia is the federal state with the biggest share of gift voucher lovers (33 percent) while books are most likely to end up under the Christmas tree in Berlin (24 percent). Meanwile, with 20 percent, toys are particularly popular in North Rhine-Westphalia. Also interestingly – and maybe not too surprisingly for some – German men seem to be a bit more stingy than their female counterparts when budgeting for presents for their loved ones. As the report notes, it is “striking” that men use price comparison platforms significantly more frequently (30 percent) than women (17 percent). I’ll leave this information with you here. Feel free to use as needed but, obviously, this is not intended to put even more pressure on some (men) who might already struggle with the whole Christmas gifting scenario as it is … because, most importantly, the festive season should not really be about presents in the first place. My Christmas gift advice therefore: back to basics. Just enjoy your time together, maybe with a little dance (best mood booster) around the Christmas tree, and have a frohe Weihachten!

Barbara Geier is a London-based freelance writer, translator and communications consultant. She is also the face behind www.germanyiswunderbar.com, a German travel and tourism guide and blog that was set up together with UK travel writer Andrew Eames in 2010.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Discover Germany, Switzerland & Austria.