Over half of Irish shoppers are planning to spend more on locally-sourced goods this Christmas according to a survey by Deloitte.
Shopping local will be a conscious decision for 51 per cent of people this year, with the report also indicating increased consumer confidence in person-to-person services, such as beauty treatments and hairdressing since their reopening earlier this month.
Anxiety among consumers overall has also fallen by 6 per cent compared to two weeks ago, while 40 per cent said they felt safe going to a restaurant, an increase of 8 per cent.
For workers, concerns regarding returning to work and job losses fell, with only 4 per cent saying they were fearful of going back to the workplace, while 32 per cent said they worried about being made redundant.
Ahead of the eagerly awaited Christmas dinner, spending intention on groceries jumped by 13 per cent, as did the planned spend on discretionary items, such as clothing and footwear (35 per cent), restaurants and takeaways (32 per cent), alcohol (22 per cent) and electronics (13 per cent).
After months of online shopping only, the majority of consumers are ready for a return to physical stores. 64 per cent said they were confident enough to shop in-person, with delivery costs being a factor in their decision to shop in-store for 46 per cent.
The planned announcement of increased restrictions for the hospitality sector before the New Year will come as a heavy blow, just as an extra 26 per cent of people said they intended to increase spending on travel and hotel stays (10 per cent increase) in the next three months.
However, the research revealed 44 per cent of people still feel it is unsafe to stay in a hotel due to the pandemic, with 42 per cent saying they were holding off on travel plans until the public health situation improves.
