Swiss consumers refuse to let their cautious economic outlook affect their spending on Christmas, according to an annual survey by consultants Deloitte. At CHF807 ($895) per household, the Swiss Christmas budget is the fourth highest in Europe.

Christmas is still several weeks away but preparations have already started. Swiss consumers are more likely than their European peers to shop for presents early (47% in or before November), as Deloitte reports in the Swiss Christmas Retail Survey 2013, published on Tuesday.

What's more, the planned Christmas budget of CHF807 per household is up 3% from last year’s estimated spend.

In the seasonal spendthrift stakes, the Swiss are beaten only by the Irish at €894 (CHF1,100), Luxembourgers at €825 and Finns at €692.

M-commerce

This year, 39% of respondents plan to buy their Christmas presents online, up from 31% in 2012.

The importance of “M-commerce” – using mobile devices for online commercial transactions – continues to rise: 33% of Swiss consumers or about 61% of smartphone owners have used mobile devices for purchases and 46% plan to do so in the future.

“Developing a solid forward-looking M-commerce strategy will be essential for retailers as this channel gains momentum,” believed Howard da Silva, consumer business industry leader at Deloitte.

Also, cross-border shopping in the eurozone remains attractive: 48% of Swiss consumers are planning to make Christmas purchases (partially) in euros. Nevertheless, this share has declined marginally compared with two years ago, due to the stability of the franc/euro exchange rate over this period.

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