Seven trends that will define Christmas and set the tone for 2020

1. Rage against consumption

Despite it being the season of giving, consumers are moving away from buying a shedload of gifts as we reach peak consumption.

Ongoing campaigning by Greta Thunberg and increased activism from Extinction Rebellion in the UK has put the impact that our shopping habits have on the planet front of mind.

One only needs to go to London’s famous Carnaby Street, where the Christmas lights underline the impact of plastic waste on the oceans, to see that there has been a step-change in the hearts and minds of shoppers about how much they buy.

Mintel senior retail analyst Chana Baram says: “People want a greener Christmas and are rethinking what kind of gift to give and whether they should give anything at all.

“There’s been some backlash against Black Friday. People think it’s causing too much consumerism and leads to people buying things they don’t want and some retailers have taken a stand against it.”

In France, activists staged demonstrations outside of Amazon distribution centres decrying the impact of consumerism on the environment, while hundreds gathered to protest in Churchill Square shopping centre in Brighton last Friday. Meanwhile, in Bradford, people were encouraged to take part in ‘Buy Nowt Friday’ rather than snap up Black Friday bargains.

Some retailers have also taken a stand with sustainable shoe specialist Allbirds using Black Friday to encourage shoppers “to re-evaluate their purchases this festive season” by taking stock out of its flagship in Covent Garden. Beauty company Deciem shut down its stores and website on the day.

Deciem’s Instagram said: “Hyper-consumerism poses one of the biggest threats to the planet and flash sales can often lead to rushed purchasing decisions, driven by the fear of a sellout. We no longer feel that Black Friday is an Earth- or consumer-friendly event.”

WGSN Insight senior editor Petah Marian says: “Consumers are going to make considered choices when spending, both from a moral values perspective and from a financial value one as well. They’re looking to buy things that have increased meaning and show more consciousness over climate change both this Christmas and into 2020.”

2. Thoughtful gifting

This stand against consumption will inevitably lead to more thoughtful gifting at Christmas with shoppers gravitating towards giving experiences and personal gifts that pull on the heartstrings.

Retailers are already tapping into this trend. Boots’ Christmas campaign focuses on helping shoppers pick the perfect gift for hard-to-buy-for loved ones.

The campaign features distinct personas such as the new vegan, the gym bunny and the moody tweenager being given gifts perfect for them. The retailer has launched pop-up shop-in-shops both in-store and online, called ‘Bootiques’, dedicated to finding gifts for selected personas.

Meanwhile, John Lewis and Waitrose’s joint advert focuses on thoughtful gifting, a theme the department store has championed for some time.

3. Make your own

And what is more thoughtful than making your own gifts?

Personalisation has been a trend for a while now with people buying customised gifts that make the shopper feel special but shoppers are going a step further and making their own presents.

Baram says: “People are being encouraged to make their own gifts, to come in to store and go to a workshop. It’s more meaningful and gives people less licence to throw it away. More shops are launching different experiential options to cater to this.”

Baram points to London jewellery chain Maya Magal, which runs jewellery making workshops, and both Anthropologie and John Lewis are hosting wreath-making workshops in the run-up to Christmas.

In a signal that this trend will run beyond Christmas, John Lewis’ revamped Southampton store features many classes and workshops, from cooking to calligraphy, as shoppers seek experiences and to make things for themselves.

4. Second-hand gifts

Another trend that ties in with the move away from consumption is the rise of the second-hand market.

This has been a growth area for some time, particularly in clothing. Resale platform ThredUp says the second-hand clothing market has been growing 21-times faster than new clothing over the past three years and is on track to be larger than fast fashion by 2028.

But do shoppers feel comfortable giving second-hand gifts at Christmas? Increasingly so, it would seem.

A recent survey by Accenture showed that 48% of respondents would consider giving second-hand clothing as gifts, while 56% said they would welcome gifts of this kind for themselves.

The Future Laboratory deputy foresight editor Kathryn Bishop says: “Shoppers are ready not to buy new and are pushing back against consumption.”

In fact, the Future Laboratory predicts this trend will grow and consumers will start making gifts from waste products. This is one of the retail trends the consultancy has picked out for next year in its annual Future Forecast report, which launches next week.

Bishops says: “We’re seeing a growth of what would’ve been waste products or fabrics being regenerated and reframed as something that is desirable and has a second life.”

She points to MiniWiz, a firm that specialises in repurposing plastic waste, which recently launched a pop-up store, where people can bring in old water bottles, takeaway coffee cups and shopping bags and have them transformed into items such as lampshades and tiles.

5. Retro revival

Tied into the rise of vintage and the second-hand market is the return of retro.

From the resurgence of vinyl – which is set to outsell CDs this year, according to the Recording Industry Association of America – to the return of retro video games consoles, there is a wave a nostalgia around purchases this year.

Classic football shirts are also a la mode with US megastars Drake and Kendall Jenner wearing iconic old kits. Specialist retailer Classic Football Shirts has opened pop-up stores in Manchester and London to capitalise on the trend.

Meanwhile, camera photography is making a comeback to such a degree that FujiFilm opened a three-floor flagship store in Covent Garden this month.

Christmas toys are also set to have an old school flavour as Fisher-Price is selling an entire range of classic pre-school toys, which are packaged as they would have been up to half a century ago.

6. Peer recommendation platforms

Another trend evident this Christmas is shoppers seeking out the opinion of friends and peers before making purchases.

This is not a new phenomenon but has been heightened of late as the rise of promotional content and influencer marketing has created a mistrust in endorsements.

Bishop says: “There is a massive trust deficit that has emerged between shoppers and brands. How much can shoppers trust content from bloggers and ads? People are instead turning to peers for recommendations, especially at Christmas.”

This has given rise to peer-to-peer recommendation platforms such as beauty specialist Mira.

Bishop says: “Consumers are overwhelmed. You might have a tab open with reviews on Sephora, a Google search, a YouTube video, an Instagram page. There’s so much information and people want a one-stop place rather than to have 100 tabs open doing research.”

Retailers have tried to facilitate this desire for independent advice. Sephora has created the Beauty Board, a social media platform when shoppers can share and like looks, while H&M has launched Itsapark in beta, a platform that lets users seek style advice from other users. Users can pose style questions to the community, such as what to wear at a job interview, and get answers from other members.

7. Buying to give something back

People may be buying less for themselves but they want to buy for others, especially the less fortunate.

Consumers are keen to give something back and want retailers to help them to do so.

Marian says: “People have never been more concerned about the wellbeing of others and want their purchases to contribute to the greater good. They’re looking for retailers to help them do this easily and effectively.”

Toms’ has long run an initiative that gives shoes to those that need. It has since expanded its charity giving to support eyecare, safe water and birthing kits to more than 70 countries worldwide.

It is not alone. Sainsbury’s has launched its ‘Help Brighten a Million Christmases’ campaign calling on customers to donate.

Both Sainsbury’s and Argos have provided in-store donation boxes to encourage shoppers to give food and toys to those in need.