New reader polls run by Swindon24 suggest changing shopping habits are reshaping the Christmas landscape for Swindon town centre and Old Town.
The first poll asked readers where they spent most of their Christmas money. Just under 60% of respondents said they bought most of their gifts online. Around 28% said they split their spending roughly 50% locally and 50% online. Only around 15% said the majority of their Christmas spending was done locally.
While the figures show clear goodwill towards local businesses, they also underline the reality that online shopping now dominates Christmas purchasing for many residents, even among those who value independent shops and hospitality.
A second poll focused on how much people spent overall compared with last year.
Around 50% respondents said they spent less this Christmas. Just over a quarter reported spending more, while roughly one in five said their spending stayed about the same.
Taken together, the results point to growing pressure on local retail areas, with shoppers both cutting back and moving more of their spending online.
Reacting to the results, Kris Talikowski, Chair of the Old Town Business Association and Vice-Chair of the Swindon Shadow BID Board, said the polls reflected both a challenge and an opportunity.
“These polls are a wake-up call on two fronts,” he said. “As residents, we need to think more consciously about spending locally where we can, because that money circulates back into Swindon. But retailers and hospitality businesses also need to be honest about how people now shop and adapt to it.”
However, many independent businesses appear to be adapting rather than resisting the shift.
One approach gaining traction is the use of online gift vouchers for independent businesses, allowing customers to support local venues digitally.
At Old Town tapas restaurant Los Gatos, more than 150 gift vouchers were sold in the run up to Christmas. The business says more than 90% of those vouchers were bought online.
Simone De Palma, Manager at Los Gatos, said:
“Selling vouchers online has completely changed how Christmas works for us. It makes a huge difference in January and February when restaurants are naturally quieter. Those vouchers help smooth out what would otherwise might be a tough start to the year.”
The poll results suggest Christmas success for Swindon’s retail areas may depend less on footfall alone and more on how flexible businesses are in how they sell.
