This is how Hungarians prepare for holiday shopping

Hungarian families are planning their Christmas shopping more and more thoughtfully. According to the PENNY survey, 40% of shoppers plan to spend 20-40 thousand forints on a festive meal, and every fourth respondent allocates 40-60 thousand forints. Although more and more people start purchasing the necessary ingredients at the end of November, the majority, 69% of respondents, still buy the ingredients in the week or two before the holiday.

Only 9% of respondents leave shopping until the last minute; PENNY will provide them with the opportunity to purchase the missing ingredients until noon on December 24th.

What will be on the Christmas table this year?

In terms of festive meat consumption, poultry leads the list (71%), but pork (62%) and fish (53%) are also popular choices. Fish consumption is highest annually during the Christmas period: many families have fish soup, fried fish or more special fish fillets on the table – all of this is available in one place, in both fresh and frozen options, in PENNY stores.

The research also revealed that 13% of 16-29 year olds do not plan to buy any meat at all for the holidays; for them, fresh seasonal vegetables and fruits, as well as plant-based alternatives, can be found on PENNY shelves.

Planning ahead and making conscious decisions

Every fifth respondent starts their holiday list in November, compares prices, and specifically watches for discounts. The majority of shoppers continue to rely on the offerings of discounters and hypermarkets; the most intense shopping period falls in mid-December.

The main means of saving is still watching for discounts: 74% of respondents use this method, and PENNY’s discount newspaper is popular both on weekdays and before the holidays. More and more people are choosing private label products (42%), which are also popular during the holidays with their favorable price-value ratio, whether it is dairy products, spices, or essential ingredients for baking, such as ground poppy seeds and nuts. Collecting loyalty points also plays an important role, especially in single-parent households with children, where 74% of those surveyed indicated this as a help.

Calmer preparation, more complete holiday

Conscious planning helps to ensure that everything falls into place in the festive rush – from the ingredients for fish soup to the ingredients for cakes to the well-tried Christmas favorites. PENNY supports everyone during this period with its budget-friendly prices, attractive range and quality private label products, so that everyone can prepare for the holidays more easily and in a more balanced way.