In-store purchasing still winning with Kiwi Christmas shoppers

Recent research from MasterCard has revealed that Kiwis are still looking to do the bulk of their Christmas shopping with local retailers, despite being keen online shoppers.

The ability to browse and inspect goods before purchasing is a deciding factor for many of those surveyed, according to the research on Christmas shopping trends.

The survey questioned over a thousand New Zealanders and showed that whilst over half of them (57 per cent) make purchases online at least monthly, just 17 per cent will be doing their Christmas shopping online this year – the majority (73%) heading to the stores to tackle their big shopping lists.

"Whilst many New Zealanders regularly shop online for themselves, or when they are looking for something specific, when it comes to finding the right gift for their children, friends and family, the findings suggest that the ability to drop into a store to browse and take a closer look at items is still hard to beat," says Peter Chisnall, MasterCard NZ country manager.

"The lead up to Christmas can be a busy time, and whilst we'll do our best to plan ahead, many of us will no doubt also be relying on popping out on that last minute lunchtime dash to get things sorted," he says.

Chisnall says the increasing availability of contactless MasterCard PayPass terminals at retailers should go a long way to help cut cues.  

The top gifts being searched for at local stores were food and wine (89%), homeware (83%), and clothing, accessories and sports goods (76%).

For those looking to do their Christmas shopping online, the choice between using overseas and local websites was largely dependent on what item they were looking to buy – although nearly a third (29%) expressed that they prefer to use New Zealand websites.

Books, DVDs and CDs were the gifts most likely to be bought online (51%), followed by vouchers for goods and services (48%), toys and games (35%), and make up and fragrances (34%).

"Kiwis are generally savvy online shoppers, however this Christmas as always, we encourage them to take care with their personal information, and make sure they check website security, payment details, returns policy and protection cover before purchase," Chisnall says.

"Purchasing your gifts with a MasterCard card can also ensure you're covered in the case they don't arrive as intended, so be sure to get in touch with the issuer of your credit or debit card regarding refund eligibility if you find yourself in this situation."