The time when we used to say to each other ’There are only so many shopping days until Christmas’ are rather redundant as shopping is more or less a 24/7 activity thanks to the internet. There’s no doubt that the internet, as well as all of the discounters, are taking a big chunk of Christmas cash but luckily there seems to be quite a lot of that cash to go round.

According to a bobatoo.co.uk survey of 1,000 consumers, the average amount spent on Christmas presents is £500-£700. And, on top of that, a further £200-£300 is spent on food, drink, decorations and parties.

Obviously some categories do better than others at Christmas turkeys for one! Soft drinks is another according to Kantar Worldpanel data, there are an average of 8.6 soft drink purchases per shopper in the run up to Christmas, with 95% of households buying into the category.

Cola performs well as do mixers and adult soft drinks. Coca-Cola is synonymous with Christmas thanks to its popular Holidays are Coming ads and Nielsen data says the brand sees a notable increase in sales.

Trading up to impress your guests is always trotted out as a reason to stock up on brands for Christmas think household names such as the aforementioned Coke and KP Nuts instead of own brand. Indeed Him! data reveals that 42% of people are more likely to trade up to more expensive and premium products for the Christmas period.

KP says it caddies of nuts are great at tempting shoppers to pay a premium for a more quality snacking product. Biscuits are another big seller at this time of the year. According to |RI Litmus data, in the 12 weeks to January 3, 2016 one in every five biscuit shoppers purchased seasonal packs.

At Christmas time, more than ever, display is key. Packaging festooned with star bursts and snow, santas and snowmen can light up shelves, while special-edition packs add excitement to any category.

Finally, don’t forget our furry friends as Nielsen data reveals that 63% of pet owners buy their pet a Christmas present and, perhaps more surprisingly, almost a quarter of non-pet owners treat the pets of friends and family. I must confess, I have done both bought presents for my pets and for other people’s. It’s foolish, but fabulous fun.

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