Residents of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia Spent over €100 Million on Christmas Gifts
Residents of the three Baltic nations – Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia – have spent €102 million on goods and services in online stores between Black Friday and Christmas, marking the busiest period for gift shopping. The amount spent on online products in the Baltic countries during this period increased by 16%, or €19 million, compared to the previous month. This information comes from Delfi, citing data from the Lithuanian fintech company Paysera.
According to Paysera, which processes online payments in the Baltic countries, the average checkout value for the reporting period was €63, slightly higher than the average of €61 recorded during the same period in 2022. When purchasing goods on credit through the Buy Now Pay Later scheme, the average checkout amount increased approximately sevenfold, reaching €460. This highlights the popularity of this service, which has gained significant traction in Europe, the USA, and the Baltic countries in recent years.
"Analysing purchase data, we see that the third week of December recorded the highest online expenditures – €24 million, excluding Black Friday weekends. The previous December 2023 record was broken in the same week, on December 11, when the total purchase amount exceeded the daily average by 52%," revealed Marius Planchunas, CEO of Paysera.
It's worth noting that this year, the Czech city of Brno was chosen as the international jury's European Capital of Christmas 2024. In its official statement, the jury emphasized Brno's unique Christmas attraction, reflecting its appeal to tourists during the festive season, leading to a noticeable social, micro, and macroeconomic impact on the cityscape.
As reported by The Gaze, the United Kingdom celebrated New Year's without pandemic restrictions for the first time since the outbreak. In London, over 100,000 people gathered near the Thames in the city centre to witness the legendary fireworks display as Big Ben chimed in the new year. The New Year's show conveyed a message of "love and unity" and was dedicated to the historic victory of the English women's football team in the 2024 European Championship. It also honoured the 50th anniversary of the London Pride and sent a signal of support to Ukraine.