Half of Irish shoppers are planning to avoid Amazon in favour of buying local this Christmas.

A new survey of 1,000 Irish shoppers found that nearly 60% are planning on shopping with Irish retailers this holiday season.

Nearly four-in-ten said they would do the majority of their shopping with Irish retailers – with just under half saying they would shun Amazon altogether.

The study, commissioned by Sligo-based digital company Dmac Media, also found that, while Irish people want to support Irish businesses, the average spend will be down by €70 on last year.

Dmac Media director Dave McEvoy said lockdown has made people more aware of the need to support their local communities.

“Whether the cause is climate change, community pride or Brexit fears, people are spending their money domestically because they know it means far more to homegrown retailers and ultimately their community,” he said.

“The results of our survey offer hope to local independent retailers online. Your customers are not all about Amazon. My advice for Irish retailers is to invest time and budget in awareness and shopping campaigns and keep getting the message out that you are open, in-store and online.”

The survey found that people are planning on spending an average of €470 on gifts this Christmas – down on the €541 figure reported in the 2020 PayPal survey.

Women are set to spend more than men – with an average spend of €480 compared to the average male spend of €451.

The figures are pulled up by the 12% of people who are planning on spending more than €900 – with nearly 40% planning on spending between €200 and €500.