British shoppers spent an estimated £2bn over Christmas last year, and UK retailers have already seen a faster rate of growth in more than a year between November and December. Here at the7stars, we’ve undertaken our own research to learn more about Christmas shopping habits.

The research is still on-going, but here are seven key insights so far:

25% of shoppers were buying Christmas groceries as early as the last week of November. This rose to 35% by 19th December, so expect some last minute grocery drama in the aisles this weekend. Especially with the news that Click and Collect services may be oversubscribed. (Source: Telegraph)

Our passive tracking data indicates that women are spending more time browsing retailer sites for presents for their families – fitting these in between school runs and when kids have gone to bed. Clear peaks around 10am, from 1-4pm and then again at 9-11pm. Top sites? Argos, Disney Store & Toys-R-Us.

Men on the whole are less likely to be visiting retailers on their mobile. Their top sites for Black Friday fortnight were adult entertainment (yes, really!), BBC news and sport, betting and gaming sites, and YouTube.

Men are more focussed in-store. 1 in 3 buy exactly what they’re looking for, compared to only 1 in 5 female shoppers. How can we interrupt this mission and encourage extra stocking fillers in-store?

As time has gone by, shoppers in-store who are inspiration hunting have dwindled – 34% in the final week of November, and only 25% in the week ending 19th December. Price comparison also declines over time, and pre-planned bundle purchases almost double.

16-24s are most likely to make their retail therapy a sociable experience in the lead up to Christmas. 28% shopped with friends, compared to only 9% of 65+. Opportunities exist for brands to reward these groups and invite them to stay longer when they’re making a day of it.

Even as the day itself draws nearer, shopping still remains a largely enjoyable experience! 55% of those shopping up until the 19th December said so. With 900,000 shoppers estimated to hit the West End this weekend (source: Daily Mail), let’s see if the last minute stress-fest is a myth!

Source: the7stars Lightbox

Data collected from passive tracking of 100 Brits’ mobile behaviours since 25th November, and 1500 shoppers at over 10,000 geo-fenced retail locations.