A NEW survey of Bradford shoppers has revealed their Christmas shopping habits and the length of time spent on picking up gifts for their partners.

A total of 750 shoppers took part in the study which found that men are most likely to spend less than half an hour Christmas shopping, with 32 per cent admitting to this, compared to 22 per cent of women.

In contrast women in the city are more likely to spend between one and two hours buying gifts for their other halves, with 27 per cent, compared to 21 per cent of men.

Both genders were almost equally as likely to take more than three hours - with 19 per cent of women and 18 per cent of men admitting spending that amount of time on shopping for the right gift for their partner.

The study, which was conducted by Savills on behalf of Kirkgate Shopping, also shows that when it comes to age, 45 to 54 year olds were the age group most likely to take less than 30 minutes on picking out a gift, while 16 to 24 year olds were most likely to spend more than three hours on festive shopping.

Kate Hardcastle, TV retail expert, said: “In my experience, men tend to be practical and logical when making purchases, which is reflected in the speed of their shopping as revealed through this latest research.

“It doesn’t mean men put less thought into their gift, simply that they know what they want and get it without distraction.”

One retailer in the Kirkgate Shopping centre, Rob Lamont, manager of F Hinds jewellery store has found that while men might make their purchases more quickly than women, it does not necessarily mean they care any less.

He said: “Being someone who leaves all my shopping to the last minute, I can certainly relate to Kirkgate’s latest survey findings! We definitely see a surge of men coming through our doors on Christmas Eve to make that final last minute purchase for their loved one.

“However, rather than this being a sign that they don’t care, it can often mean they’ve spent a lot of time researching this year’s gift before they go and buy it.”

“We’ve seen men buying everything from gold watches to engagement rings at the 11th hour - but if it raises a smile, what’s the harm in that?,” he added.

Kirkgate Shopping centre manager Catherine Riley said: “This research is part of our wider project to understand our customers’ shopping habits and adapt our offering accordingly.

“We know Christmas poses a challenge for most households, so whether your challenge is time or budgetary, we have made sure that here at Kirkgate we have something for everyone plus the flexibility of Thursday late night shopping right up to Christmas.”

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