Brits prioritise dogs ahead of people for Christmas gifts, research finds

Brits are still planning to splash out on their pets despite the cost-of-living crisis this Christmas, according to new research.

Online search volumes for ‘Christmas dog toys’ are actually up by a third (32%) compared to last year, with searches for ‘Dog Christmas gifts’ up 24% and for ‘Dog Christmas cards’ up by 18%, search performance specialist MediaVision found. Searches for ‘Dog Christmas stocking’ are also up by 31% on 2021.

By comparison, however, search volumes for ‘Christmas gifts for friends’ are down by more than a third (37%) on last year. Searches for ‘Christmas gifts for her’ are down by 11% and for ‘Christmas gifts for him’ are down by 20%.

Louis Venter, CEO at MediaVision, said: “Inflation and rising costs are going to have a very real impact on Christmas this year, with many people scaling back their gift plans for friends and family members. But for our dogs, there’s no such reticence.

“Petcare is seen as an essential purchase even during times when we’re tightening our belts, and that clearly extends to Christmas gifts.”