Poles to spend PLN 30 bln during winter season

Poles will spend PLN 29.9 billion on Christmas, New Year’s Eve and on vacation during the winter break, some 7 percent more than in the 2013/2014 season, according to consultancy KPMG. The sum corresponds to an average spending of PLN 1,031 per household, versus PLN 979 last year. Christmas spending will amount to PLN 15.3 billion, PLN 900 million more than last year’s festivities. The increase is mainly due to the higher value of presents that Poles are going to buy this year, an 8 percent increase over last year’s spending. Poles will also spend some PLN 10 billion on New Year’s Eve celebration, 400 million more than last year, while 2015 winter holidays will cost some PLN 4.6 billion, PLN 600 million more than in the previous season. A international survey by ING puts the average value of Christmas presents purchased by Poles this year at €95 (some PLN 410), the second lowest sum among the 12 European countries included in the study. By comparison, an average Brit will spend €440 on Christmas gifts. Citizens of Luxembourg and France will each spend on average €300, followed by Austrians and Spaniards (€250) as well as Germans and Italians (€200). Two other CEE countries included in the study, Czech Republic and Romania, also came in ahead of Poland with €180 and €110 respectively. Only the Dutch will spend less than Poles – €25.