Santa in a panic: why consumers have already bought gifts for Christmas

For 58-year-old resident of Cocoa, Florida, Laurie Pinkley, the most wonderful time of the year began already in September. She usually doesn't buy Christmas presents in advance. But after learning from the news about the worsening logistical crisis, Pinkley was worried that the ordered gifts would not arrive on time. So in the fall, when many people are just returning to their usual rhythm of life after the summer holidays, she asked her four grandchildren to make a Christmas wishlist.

“I want them to get great gifts from their grandmother anyway,” Pinkley said.

Statistics show that consumers on both sides of the Atlantic began buying goods for the holiday earlier this year than last. A Bank of America survey found that almost two-thirds of people in the US began preparing for the holidays as early as October. According to a study by the National Statistics Office in the UK, one in eight adults said they bought gifts or pre-ordered goods for the holidays earlier than usual.