People may be cutting back on their spending and gifting to friends and family this Christmas, but their dogs will reap the rewards as people still want to lavish gifts on their furry friends.
New research from search performance agency MediaVision reveals that, compared to 2021, online search volumes for ‘Christmas dog toys’ are a third higher, with ‘dog Christmas gifts’ and ‘dog Christmas cards’ up 24% and 18% respectively.
And people are keen for their pets to get into the festive spirit, with searches for ‘dog Christmas stockings’ up 31% year-on-year.
Searches for friends and family gifts tumble
MediaVision’s research using its Digital Demand Tracker tool, found that search volumes for ‘Christmas gifts for friends’ are down by more than a third (37%) on last year, with ‘Christmas gifts for her’ down 11% and ‘Christmas gifts for him’ taking a tumble of 20%.
And younger family members or friends will also see cuts in gifts – search volumes for ‘Christmas gifts for teens’ dropped 23% compared to 2021.
Louis Venter, CEO at MediaVision, said: “Inflation and rising costs are going to have a very real impact on Christmas this year, with many people scaling back their gift plans for friends and family members. But for our dogs, there’s no such reticence.
“Petcare is seen as an essential purchase even during times when we’re tightening our belts, and that clearly extends to Christmas gifts. It may be cold and miserable for humans this December, but it looks like we’re determined that our canine friends won’t feel the pinch.”