According to Barclaycard, people were spending most of their money this year on online shopping, home improvements, streaming subscriptions and takeaways.
Despite non-essential shops being closed at the start of 2021, people spent most of their money online as online transactions surged by 88% in March 2021 compared to March 2019.
And whilst hospitality venues were closed at the start of the year, spending on takeaways increased by 62%.
Spending on pets also increased this year as people spent 29% more at vets and pet retailers than in 2019.
Jose Carvalho, head of consumer products at Barclaycard, commented on what we can expect for 2022: “As we look ahead to 2022, the economy will face fresh challenges from rising household bills, inflation, and uncertainty about the new Covid variant.”
“Yet, as we’ve seen over the last two years, consumers and businesses are capable of adapting to and overcoming immense hardship and adversity”.