Fewer Hungarians are planning to buy presents this year and those who do will spend less, according to a Kirakat-Ipsos survey published on Monday.
Last year 81 percent of the population bought Christmas presents; this year only 76 percent are planning to make purchases. And last year 61 percent spent a maximum of 30,000 forints, while this year 66 percent are limiting themselves to the same sum, according to the survey. Only 6 percent will spend over 50,000 forints in total.
At the same time, more and more people are turning to the internet to plan their Christmas holiday purchases, the survey of 1,500 people found. Internet window-shoppers have risen to 40 percent from 31 percent in a year. Still, only 8 percent actually use the internet to make purchases, and generally it is people between 18 and 39 that do so.
Consumer spending has fallen dramatically on the back of the financial and economic crisis.