Two-class society under the Christmas tree - That's how the Germans give away

Christmas is a celebration of traditions and old family values. The zeitgeist and the economic turbulence can obviously do little to harm this. A survey on the subject of Christmas gifts shows that the gender ratio when giving gifts has little to do with gender-equitable modern Germany. At the same time, the study shows how much the gap between rich and poor is widening when it comes to gifts this year.

Men, as the study by the management consultancy EY shows, usually has little creative ideas when it comes to gifts: they mainly give away vouchers. On average, they spend 19.40 euros more than women. Otherwise, they often give away jewelery and consumer electronics. Women, on the other hand, give away an above-average amount of cosmetics, books and fashion.

At the same time, the gift budget of Germans is shrinking this year. At 252 euros, 7.6 percent of those surveyed are planning less money for gifts than in the previous year – less than they have been for eight years. Women save more than men.

Apparently, men still want to impress with particularly lavish gifts: they are planning to spend 277 euros on gifts this year. Women, on the other hand, only want to spend 229 euros.

It is possible that lower incomes and the assets of men and women also correlate at this point: East Germans want to spend about 17 euros less on gifts than West Germans.

While the proportion of those who spend more than 700 euros on gifts remains constant at six percent, the proportion of those who only want to spend a double-digit sum increases by five percentage points to 28 percent.

Low-income households save the most. Where the family income is less than 25,000 euros, expenses fall by almost a quarter. With a budget of 120 euros, the gift packages are likely to be significantly smaller this year - also because the goods are becoming more expensive due to inflation. “Many consumers are currently primarily concerned with somehow making ends meet. Giving mood doesn't really want to arise there," comments EY expert Michael Renz.

On the other hand, top earners with an annual income of more than 70,000 euros can continue to splurge. You want to spend one percent more than in the previous year, namely 435 euros.

The general frugality is also reflected in the shopping channel: online trade leads by a long way and is also becoming the most important source of inspiration. Specialist shops, on the other hand, are losing significantly, while supermarkets and discounters are holding their ground.

At the same time, the desire for Christmas markets is falling. Before the pandemic, these were an additional incentive for 44 percent of those surveyed to go to the city, but they are now only of interest to just under a third of those surveyed.

The study did not investigate whether there are differences between the sexes.

"Everything on shares" is the daily stock exchange shot from the WELT business editorial team. Every morning from 7 a.m. with our financial journalists. For stock market experts and beginners. Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Amazon Music and Deezer. Or directly via RSS feed.