All I want for Christmas… is cash

Money or gift cards are the top Christmas presents adults are hoping to receive this year, a survey has found.

More than a quarter (27%) of people chose this option in a YouGov poll, while clothing came second – the choice of 23%.

After spending much of last year indoors amid coronavirus restrictions, a fifth (20%) are wishing for an “experience”, such as a trip to a concert or a cinema visit, according to the research commissioned by price tracking website PriceRunner.

Alcohol and spirits (chosen by 15%) and perfume (also picked by 15%) rounded off the top five items adults most want for Christmas. People were allowed to select as many items as they wanted in the survey.

Christine Gouldthorp, consumer expert at PriceRunner, said: “Last year was also an exceptional year for the e-commerce industry, where online shopping grew like we have never seen before. I am sure it is a phenomenon here to stay beyond the pandemic.”

With delivery issues having affected the availability of some products, PriceRunner also analysed stock and data from its website on some of the most popular categories around Christmas.

It found that categories where stock availability tended to be lower included desktop computers, electric bikes, robotic lawnmowers, laptops, wine coolers and tablets.

It also found that toys, tablets, shoes, board games and games consoles were among the categories where prices had crept up in the past six months.

– More than 2,000 people across the UK were surveyed in November 2021.