- Adapters, shampoos and chargers are the items we forget most when going on holiday according to new research from Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Money
- Packing in a rush and the stress of packing are sighted as the top reasons for forgetting items
- With new Covid testing regimes and documentation to complete prior to departure, a quarter (26%) of Brits said they are more likely to forget key holiday essentials this year than ever before
- However, savvy Brits are now more likely than ever to consider their travel money needs earlier
With more and more people venturing abroad once again, new research from Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Money has revealed the most forgotten holiday items – with plug adapters (43%), toiletries like shampoo and bodywash (41%) and mobile phone chargers (34%) topping the list. Other items frequently not thought about until arrivals include foreign currency (18%), clothes (26%), shoes (20%) and underwear (20%). 1 in 5 men surveyed have forgotten their passports compared with only 1 in 10 women.
Some of the more random items Brits consider holiday essentials, but then go on to forget to pack, include sugar for tea, bed-time teabags, children’s glasses and even their suitcases.
An average of 54% Brits forget to pack holiday items, but this rises to a staggering 84% of 18 to 24 year olds, and 65% of 25 to 34 year olds... Of the 54% of Brits who forget to pack holiday items, 85% have done it more than once, with 1 in 5 forgetting something critical every single time they travel.
The most common reasons for being ‘holiday forgetful’ include packing in a rush (42%), the stress of packing (40%), being distracted by family members (33%), and working right up until the moment of departure (27%). With new Covid testing regimes and documentation to complete prior to departure, a quarter (26%) of Brits, and shocking 61% of 18 to 24 year olds, stated they are more likely to forget key holiday essentials this year than ever before.
The realisation that holiday essentials have been forgotten often hits at the holiday accommodation (36%) or on the way to the airport (23%). However, when it comes to travel money, savvy Brits think about their currency needs when they book their holiday or a week before departure, with only 9% worrying about getting the right currency at the departure or arrivals airport, when exchange rates and likely to be less favourable.
Jason King, Customer Director at Sainsbury’s Bank, commented: “Forgetting holiday essentials is common – we have all done it. However, travel currency doesn’t need to be one of those items. You can get your holiday money from one of our Travel Money Bureaux in store, or have a pre-paid card which you can easily top up online wherever you are in the world.”
Sainsbury’s Bank offers travel currency at around 200 bureaux in store, as well as online. Currency orders online can be delivered for instore collection or for home delivery on the next working day across the UK2. The easy-to-use service allows you to order currency online and use an automatic currency converter showing you how much your Pounds are worth.
Customers can buy and sell a range of foreign currencies, and transfer money abroad with Western Union at their local Sainsbury’s supermarket. Sainsbury’s offer 0% commission and competitive rates on all foreign currency, with better rates for Nectar customers3.
1 This research was conducted by Censuswide with 2,00 UK adults (aged 18+) who have travelled abroad as an adult, between 20th and 26th August 2021. Censuswide abide by and employ members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles.
2 Excludes Highlands and Islands
3 Nectar customers receive better exchange rates on single purchase transactions of all available foreign currencies. Excludes Sainsbury’s Bank Multi- currency cash passport home delivery