Consumers may be ramping up their spending via safe shopping online in the weeks leading up to Christmas this year, but a report from McKinsey reveals that it is not enough for retailers to simply wait for big sales events like Black Friday if they want to attract new customers.

52 per cent of British shoppers questioned in the study said that they prefer to make an early start on their festive spending in order to prepare adequately for December 25th, meaning that it makes sense for big brands to market their products and provide compelling offers sooner rather than later.

Targeting early October for offers and sales events makes sense in this context, even if there is the temptation to wait until Black Friday and Cyber Monday before pulling the trigger.

Interestingly enough, the study found a divide along gender lines in terms of the kinds of gifts that are being purchased at this preliminary stage of the holiday shopping season. Women tend to gear their searches towards snapping up products for children while also ordering items that will allow them to make the home ready for Christmas, while men opt for orders which are either aimed at pleasing their partners or pleasing themselves.

74 per cent of Brits said that they tended to look up items online before checking them out in-store, making this by far the most popular option for the international audience questioned in the report.

Smartphones are of course the first port of call for many shoppers, since they provide convenient on-the-go access to retail sites and so should be the focus of any promotional efforts by brands, analysts suggest. This also means making sure to market to mobile users all year round rather than just when Black Friday and the festive season loom large.