Spending is under pressure, but people are not cutting back equally across everything.
KPMG found that UK spending on entertainment and leisure was up 9.7% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, while travel and holidays rose 3.8%. Eating and drinking out was weaker, so it is not a simple case of every experience category growing.
What does stand out is that people are still making room for things they actively want to do.
KPMG’s summer survey found that 34% of people planned to prioritise holidays, 29% UK days out and 12% events and ticketed experiences.
That has an obvious knock-on effect for gifting.
A voucher for a restaurant, treatment, class, attraction or other experience gives the recipient something they can actually choose to use, rather than another product picked on their behalf. It also lets the buyer set a clear budget without having to choose the exact date, service or item.
That is particularly useful when people are being more selective about what they spend money on.
Steppr includes vouchers from businesses offering both products and services, so customers can use them for themselves or send them as gifts.
If people are continuing to prioritise experiences, gifting is likely to follow some of that spending too.
