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.
Most-shopped items in the UK:
1 |
Signature Name Necklace (Gold) |
2 |
Clover Custom Name Bracelet (Gold) |
3 |
Signature Name Necklace (Silver) |
4 |
|
5 |
Clover Custom Name Bracelet (Silver) |
6 |
|
7 |
Crystal Heart Bangle (Gold) |
8 |
Mini Heart Bracelet (Gold) |
9 |
Clover Custom Name Necklace (Gold) |
10 |
Most-shopped items in the US:
1 |
Initial Choker (Gold) |
2 |
Clover Custom Name Bracelet (Gold) |
3 |
Signature Name Necklace (Gold) |
4 |
|
5 |
|
6 |
Advent Calendar (Gold) |
7 |
Custom Name Bracelet (Gold) |
8 |
Initial Choker (Silver) |
9 |
Pearl Canvas Resort Bag |
10 |
Clover Custom Name Necklace (Gold) |
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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