Manchester Airport reveals Brits swap high street for departure lounge this Christmas

• New research found that 60 percent of Brits have bought Christmas presents at the airport – that’s over 32 million people
• Perfume, chocolate and alcohol top the list of festive airport buys
• Almost half (four in ten) say they’d ditch the high street for airport shopping altogether

Brits are turning the departure lounge into their new Christmas shopping destination, according to new research from Manchester Airport.

The study reveals six in ten UK adults have bought festive gifts at the airport, equating to more than 32 million people – a sign that the high street is losing out to the terminal.

Perfume and cosmetics lead the way as the most popular airport gifts (38 percent), followed by chocolate or confectionery (36 percent) and alcohol (31 percent). And the trend is growing fast: four in ten Brits say they’d consider doing more of their Christmas shopping at the airport instead of the high street altogether.

Why the shift? World Duty Free prices are the biggest draw, with 37 percent citing value as the main reason. Others say it’s about convenience (17 percent), avoiding crowds (4 percent) and access to premium brands (3 percent).

Top 10 Christmas gifts bought at the airport

• Perfume or cosmetics (38 percent)
• Chocolate or confectionery (36 percent)
• Alcohol (31 percent)
• Toys (13 percent)
• Books (12 percent)
• Luxury food items (8 percent)
• Fashion items (8 percent)
• Travel accessories (7 percent)
• Jewellery or watches (6 percent)
• Tech gadgets (6 percent)

To bring this shopping shift and the spirit of Manchester Airport’s ‘Holidays Mode: Activated’ campaign to life, the airport partnered with TikTok sensation, Charley Marlowe, as its official Santa Shopper, guiding travellers on what to get their loved ones this festive season using only what’s available in the terminal.

Charley said: “The choice has grown massively this year with new openings in Terminal 2 – it’s like a mini high street, but without the stress. I’ve had people ask for help finding gifts for those tricky family members – from dads who ‘don’t want anything’ to teens who change their minds every five minutes – so the inspo is definitely needed! The best part? You can tick off your list while waiting for your flight.”

Richard Jackson, Retail Director at Manchester Airport Group, added: “We’ve seen a real shift this year with the airport no longer being a last-minute dash. Instead, it’s a shopping destination in its own right. With new brands like LEGO, Rituals and Pandora joining our line-up, and our £1.3bn Transformation Programme set to deliver an even more elevated experience, passengers can pick up everything from luxury fragrances to family gifts without the stress of the high street. Our ‘Holidays Mode’: Activated’ campaign is all about helping people get into that feel-good mindset make the journey part of the festive experience. Hopefully our giant present is a bold reminder of that this Christmas!”