Ecommerce, Europe, Food & Drink, Retail, United Kingdom

Last-Minute Christmas Shoppers Aren’t Disorganised, They’re in Love, Gift-Message Study Finds

5 October 2026

Editorial Brief

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A study by Virginia Hayward found that last-minute Christmas gift senders in Britain are motivated by love, with a significant increase in affectionate messages as the holiday approaches. The analysis of 163,527 gift messages over two years showed that the use of "love" and kisses in messages tripled from October to the days just before Christmas. The study highlights the enduring importance of personal messages, even with the rise of AI, as the majority of hampers in 2025 included personalised notes.

EDITORIAL INSIGHT: Context, industry insight and market perspectives of this news story

This research offers a glimpse into the emotional motivations behind last-minute Christmas gifting, suggesting that timing may reflect personal sentiment rather than simple disorganisation. By analysing message patterns from a large sample of hamper orders, the study highlights how expressions of affection intensify as Christmas draws closer, particularly in the context of popular gift choices.

For retailers and marketers, the findings reinforce the continued value of personal touches in seasonal gifting, even as digital and AI-driven options expand. The data indicates that handwritten or bespoke messages remain a central part of the gifting experience, with a notable increase in their use year on year. Businesses in the gifting sector may see this as a prompt to further support customisation and last-minute fulfilment services during peak periods.

Story Ideas

Consumer trend

Cultural Shift: Last-Minute Shopping as a Sign of Affection

The increase in affectionate messages in last-minute Christmas gifts suggests a cultural shift where procrastination is linked to emotional significance rather than disorganisation.

Target audience: who would cover this
Story potential: 7/10

Consumer trend

Personal Touch in Gift Giving Persists Despite AI Rise

Despite the increasing prevalence of AI, personalised messages with gift hampers are on the rise, suggesting personal touch remains important to consumers.

Target audience: who would cover this
Story potential: 6/10

Press Release

London, UK - October 1st, 2026

Britain’s last-minute Christmas gift senders aren’t disorganised – they’re in love, according to a new study of 163,527 hamper gift messages.

Virginia Hayward analysed personal messages written by customers over the past two Christmases and found affection rises sharply as Christmas approaches. In October, 17.8% of messages mention “love” and 13.9% are signed with a kiss. In the final days before Christmas, 56.5% say “love” – more than three times the October rate – while 41.4% are signed with kisses.

Cheese hampers proved Britain’s most affectionate gift: 61.3% of their messages contain “love”, with nearly half signed with kisses. Tea and coffee hampers follow at 57.6%. Champagne and prosecco carry the season’s highest rate of thank-yous at 37.8%, while wine remains a dependable thank-you gift.

The study also suggests personal messaging is thriving despite the rise of AI. In 2025, 83.1% of hampers were sent with a personal message, up from 79.0% in 2024.

Gavin Paye, Head of Marketing at Virginia Hayward, said: “The last-minute rush isn’t about forgetting. It’s about the people we love most, where finding the right words takes longest.”

Notes to editors

Methodology The study analyses 163,527 customer gift messages from 201,609 orders placed between 1 October and 31 December in 2024 and 2025, taken from Virginia Hayward’s order management system. Cancelled orders and placeholder text (e.g. “no message”) were excluded. Phrase rates are case-insensitive text matches; kiss counts match standalone runs of the letter “x”. Hamper categories were classified from product names; the spirits category is a smaller sample (908 messages). All analysis was carried out in aggregate. No customer or recipient is identifiable, quoted examples have had identifying details removed, and raw messages are never shared. The data reflects Virginia Hayward customers, a premium food-and-drink gifting audience, and is a study of gift-message behaviour rather than a nationally representative survey. Using the data Journalists and publishers are welcome to reproduce the findings and charts with credit to Virginia Hayward and a link to www.virginiahayward.com/christmas-love-curve or to our Christmas Hamper range at www.virginiahayward.com/christmas-hampers Full data tables, high-resolution charts and bespoke cuts (including corporate-only analysis) are available on request. About Virginia Hayward Virginia Hayward is a family-run hamper company, handcrafting food and drink gift hampers in Shaftesbury, Dorset, since 1984. Every hamper is hand-packed and every gift message hand-attached. Press contact Gavin Paye, Head of Marketing [email protected] · 01747 852598 Interviews, imagery, the full stat pack and high-res photography of our Dorset packing rooms are available.

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