Are Brits better (and more generous) gifters than Americans? We looked at sales data and search data on both sides of the pond, to find out who’s buying what, who they’re shopping for and how much they’re spending.

Gold personalised pieces are hot gift items in both countries

UK and US shoppers alike are snapping up initial and name jewellery, adding a thoughtful personalised touch to their gifts. Gold is much more popular than silver, dominating both sets of buyers’ lists. This is no surprise, considering gold’s resurgence in popularity both on the catwalk and the red carpet this year.

Abbott Lyon gifting ideas


Most-shopped items in the UK:

1

Signature Name Necklace (Gold)

2

Clover Custom Name Bracelet (Gold)

3

Signature Name Necklace (Silver)

4

Personalised Initial & Droplet Birthstone Necklace (Gold)

5

Clover Custom Name Bracelet (Silver)

6

White Quartz Heart Huggie Earrings (Gold)

7

Crystal Heart Bangle (Gold)

8

Mini Heart Bracelet (Gold)

9

Clover Custom Name Necklace (Gold)

10

Personalised Initial & Droplet Birthstone Necklace (Silver)


Most-shopped items in the US:

1

Initial Choker (Gold)

2

Clover Custom Name Bracelet (Gold)

3

Signature Name Necklace (Gold)

4

Personalised Initial & Droplet Birthstone Necklace (Gold)

5

Bubble Initial Sphere Necklace (Gold)

6

Advent Calendar (Gold)

7

Custom Name Bracelet (Gold)

8

Initial Choker (Silver)

9

Pearl Canvas Resort Bag

10

Clover Custom Name Necklace (Gold)

 

Abbott Lyon collage gifting ideas

 

Who gets it right more often?


Do these buying trends reflect the gifts that recipients really want?

UK search volumes showed high demand for most of the jewellery items on our top sellers list, and most British shoppers recognised their loved ones’ preference for gold.

Unfortunately, both UK and US buyers missed out on one of this year’s biggest trends, leaving pearl jewellery out of their shopping carts. And while British shoppers were wise to the heart jewellery trend, with heart bracelets and bangles in the top ten, it seems this is another one that US buyers overlooked. Based on this information, it looks like British buyers have more hits than misses compared to Americans.

Who are the more generous gifters?

 The UK is far outspending the US at the moment, with more than £5 million splurged by Britain’s 10 biggest-buying cities, while the top 10 cities in the US come in at a much more modest £521,000.

London takes the crown as the jewellery-buying capital with a spend in excess of 1 million, while Texas buyers dominate in the US, with Houston, Dallas and Austin spending a combined £161,000.

 

UK City

Items purchased

Total Sales

1

London

58892

£1,228,290.33

2

Glasgow

35226

£731,229.26

3

Manchester

32423

£648,121.45

4

Liverpool

31969

£638,750.45

5

Birmingham

24026

£464,460.27

6

Bristol

23108

£438,506.26

7

Leeds

18637

£383,977.65

8

Nottingham

18865

£380,465.10

9

Sheffield

17617

£358,517.72

10

Leicester

13557

£269,228.48

 

 

 

£521,229.74

 

 

US City

Items purchased

Total Sales

1

Houston

2364

£71,460.17

2

Chicago

2000

£66,175.33

3

Los Angeles

4335

£59,426.60

4

New York

1626

£54,430.32

5

Brooklyn

1757

£48,908.12

6

Miami

1741

£47,470.82

7

Dallas

1405

£46,055.32

8

Austin

1211

£43,587.06

9

Las Vegas

1281

£43,465.22

10

San Antonio

1295

£40,250.78

 

 

 

£521229.74

 

Friends and partners take priority

 While UK shoppers are spending the most on custom keepsakes for their friends, US buyers are choosing romance and splurging on their partners. Could this be because parents and siblings are opting for more homemade gifts or experience gifts over items like jewellery? Or are the expectations for gifting between friends and partners much higher than those between family members?

In both the US and the UK, most recipients can expect gold jewellery instead of silver, and there will be a lot of personalised pieces appearing in Christmas stockings across both countries.

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