Aberdeen Britain’s most generous city as Scottish giving outstrips UK

In 2014, the average Scot spent £466.50 on presents outside of birthdays and Christmas - but, according to the One4all Gift Card Gifting Index, this figure is predicted to rise to £491.84 in 2015.

And both of these figures are significantly higher than the UK national averages of £370.67 and £397.37 respectively, suggesting Scots aren’t quite as stingy as the old stereotype suggests.

The study by One4all, the Post Office gift card, quizzed 1,732 UK adults on their gifting habits, revealing the true value of panic-bought presents, and comes as the Office of National Statistics (ONS) measured a 4.5 per cent increase in UK household disposable income on an annual basis in the first quarter of the year.

The results of the PO survey showed Scots hold pole positions when it comes to generosity, with Aberdeen being the most generous city in the UK, typically spending £896 on gifts per year.

However, Edinburgh did come out as the UK’s most stingy area, spending just £266.

Mother’s Day was Scotland’s most popular gifting occasion, closely followed by baby births – while Father’s Day plodded behind in third place, with 6 per cent less of the vote than Mother’s Day, and 4 per cent less than baby births. Wedding anniversaries and engagements made fourth and fifth place in the top five.

It found £17.5 billion is wasted throughout the UK every year on gifts that many are not confident the recipient will like, with 85 per cent of gifts bought throughout the year given uncertainly.

Declan Byrne, managing director at One4all, the Post Office Gift Card, said: “It’s interesting to see that consumer confidence is growing to the extent that we are not only investing in ourselves, but other people. It’s fantastic that Scots are starting to feel like they can spend again – and even better to see that being played out in our generosity as a nation.”

“That said, it does seem like, as a nation, many are selecting gifts that may not be right for the recipient – 85 per cent of gifts being bought uncertainly is an astonishing figure, and suggests that, we either need to be buying gifts which offer more choice or allow for a wider range of tastes – or perhaps worry less about finding that ‘perfect’ gift, to take the pressure off and allow us to make more instinctive, natural gift decisions.”

While the research indicates we are becoming more generous with the amount we lay down on gifts, almost 1 in 2 (47 per cent) Scots feel they are the great ungifted, buying more gifts for others than they receive.

The One4all Gift Card is available to buy from Post Offices nationwide and online at www.one4allgiftcard.co.uk, and can be spent in more than 22,000 stores across the UK.