A nationwide study from The Green Insurer, which is focused on helping drivers reduce carbon emissions and drive in a more environmentally friendly way, reveals that the UK will spend around £5.5 billion on the last shopping day before Christmas. The research found that just over a quarter of UK adults (28%) claim they will still be doing some of their Christmas shopping on 24th December.
The last-minute Christmas Eve spend represents around 13% of the total £43.7 billion anticipated to be spent on celebrating Christmas by the nation this year. This multi-billion pound figure contains all festive expenditure and includes money spent on gifts, food and travelling costs to see family and friends, equating to an average spend of around £818 per person.
The research reveals that men are more likely to make a last-minute dash to the shops than women, with almost one in three (34%) of men interviewed believing they would not have completed all their Christmas shopping by Christmas Eve, compared with one in four (26%) women.
There is an even more marked divide between the different age groups, with more than two in five (42%) 18 – 24 year olds saying they would still be shopping on Christmas Eve, compared with just 12% of over 65s.
Paul Baxter, CEO, The Green Insurer, said: “According to our research, shoppers are set to spend billions in the final hours before the big day, capitalising on last-minute deals and stocking up for their celebrations. This finding highlights both the impact of busy schedules and the appeal of end-of-season discounts during what has been a challenging year for many households.
“However, last minute short trips to high streets in the midst of the festive rush can often mean sitting in long traffic queues. Our car insurance will help minimise the environmental impact that such journeys can have by offsetting any mileage undertaken.”
The Green Insurer has launched car insurance policies that customers can buy direct from its website at www.thegreeninsurer.com and through leading price comparison websites. A customer’s Green Driving Score will be used to calculate their renewal premium and to offer discounts when they renew. Policies are linked to a mobile app, which monitors how customers drive.
Every mile driven by customers will be offset using a range of carbon offset projects which are assessed for their carbon and environmental effectiveness as well as the social impact on the people and communities where they are based.
All customer enquiries to The Green Insurer will be dealt with by humans based in the UK rather than chatbots or overseas call centres.
Up to 70 companies have partnered with The Green Insurer to offer rewards and discounts including ASDA, Tesco, Sainsbury’s Waitrose, Iceland and Morrisons plus retailers Clarks, Harvey Nichols, Halfords, Habitat and Waterstone’s as well as restaurant chains Zizzi, Ask Italian and Café Rouge. On a weekly supermarket shop of £200 a 6% discount would be worth more than £600 a year.
Independent and green offers include eco laundry capsules, eco clothing, refillable natural deodorant, sustainable sunglasses from Coral Eyewear and National Trust membership. The company plans to expand the number of rewards partners and is contacting companies who can also sign up on its website. It will also add other insurance partners in the future and potentially expand the types of policies it offers.
