Swiss consumers preparing for Christmas

Deloitte, the professional services firm, has conducted its annual survey measuring Swiss consumer’s sentiment towards 2013 Christmas spending. The conclusion - Swiss consumers refuse to let the cautious economic outlook affect their spending on Christmas.

Christmas is still several weeks away but Christmas preparations have already started. Swiss consumers are more likely than their European peers to shop for gifts early (47% in or before November), as Deloitte reports in this years’ Swiss Christmas Retail Survey. They are also prepared to increase their spending levels from last year: With a planned Christmas budget of 807 CHF per household the Swiss rank fourth in European Christmas spending in 2013, up 3% from last year’s estimated spend.

M-commerce on the rise

In 2013 39% of the Deloitte survey participants plan to buy their Christmas presents online, up from 31% in 2012. The importance of Mobile commerce (“M-commerce”), using mobile devices for online commercial transactions, continues to rise. 33% of Swiss consumers or about 61% of smartphone owners have used mobile devices for purchases and 46% plan to do so in the future. As Howard da Silva, Consumer Business Industry Leader at Deloitte, explains: “Developing a solid forward-looking M-commerce strategy will be essential for retailers as this channel gains momentum.”

Cross-border shopping in Euro-countries stabilises

One of the major influences on shopping behaviour of Swiss consumers has been the Swiss Franc. After the currency has recently weakened a little against the Euro, the share of Swiss consumers planning to make part of their Christmas purchases in Euro has declined: Only about 20% of the Swiss consumers intend to spend 25% or more of their budget for Christmas shopping in Euro.

You don’t get what you wish for

There appears to be a widening gap between the gifts desired and the gifts received by the Swiss. Travel vouchers for example are not likely to be found under the Christmas tree. Howard da Silva comments: “This expectation gap provides a strong indication that many consumers will be returning to the shops to exchange gifts in the days after Christmas which offers retailers another chance to entice shoppers to spend, but creates an additional strain on the logistics of the retailers.”

About the Swiss Christmas Retail Survey

The Deloitte Christmas Retail Survey was conducted by Deloitte in 18 European countries and South Africa. Information was collected via the internet, with a structured questionnaire for a sample of individuals, within controlled panels. Respondents were between 18 and 65 years old. A total of 17,354 consumers were surveyed, including 779 from Switzerland.

About Deloitte in Switzerland

Deloitte is a leading accounting and consulting company in Switzerland and provides industry-specific services in the areas of audit, tax, consulting and corporate finance. With approximately 1,100 employees at six locations in Basel, Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Lugano and Zurich (headquarters), Deloitte serves companies and institutions of all legal forms and sizes in all industry sectors. Deloitte AG is a subsidiary of Deloitte LLP, the UK member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (DTTL). DTTL member firms comprise of approximately 200,000 employees in more than 150 countries around the world.

Note to editors

In this press release references to Deloitte are references to Deloitte AG, a subsidiary of Deloitte LLP, which is the United Kingdom member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (“DTTL”), a UK private company limited by guarantee, whose member firms are legally separate and independent entities. Please see www.deloitte.com/ch/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of DTTL and its member firms. Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries are leading business advisers, providing audit, tax, consulting and corporate finance services through more than 12,600 exceptional people across the UK and Switzerland. Known as an employer of choice for innovative human resources programmes, it is dedicated to helping its clients and people excel. Deloitte AG is recognised by the Federal Audit Oversight Authority and the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority. The information contained in this press release is correct at the time of going to press.