Britons spend £20billion on drink

Stressed Britons are spending more than £20billion a year on alcohol to help them unwind.

As working hours in the UK top the European league and lunch breaks shrink to less than half an hour, research shows that Britons are using more and more of their hard-earned cash trying to relax.

A survey by analysts Datamonitor found that stress-related purchases have increased by almost three per cent in the last five years across Europe, as almost half of people in the EU admit to being stressed.

Britons are particularly keen on indulging themselves, spending £120million a year on beauty products including bath salts and facials to help them unwind.

A further £522million goes on ready meals, while £473million is spent on hot calming drinks including tea.

Andrew Russell, author of the report, said Britons are dealing with the pressures of daily life by making "little purchases".

He added: "I think this shows they feel it can help them unwind, and are willing to pay for them. When people are stressed they do not want to have to make decisions, so they do things like buy ready meals or branded products which they already trust." Datamonitor questioned 500 consumers from seven European countries about what they buy when they were feeling stressed.

Britons spend £1billion more on little luxuries than those from Germany and France. On average, the survey found that consumers across Europe spend £291 a year on drinking to forget their woes and and on pampering themselves.

The report says awareness and diagnosis of stress has also increased in recent years. This is due to less job security, higher divorce rates and the need to keep up with new technology, as well as to a better understanding of the syndrome.

The main effects of stress make consumers short- tempered, quicker to make decisions, more impatient with mundane tasks and less willing to experiment with new ideas, says the report.

When stressed their key demands are simplicity, timelessness and familiarity and this is primarily a time for convenienceorientated products.

Datamonitor says all consumers find work and commuting to be the most stressful events in their lives. For those suffering lower stress levels, socialising with close friends is the best way of winding down - although exercise, listening to music and pampering oneself also score highly.

But as stress levels rise, spending time with others becomes less popular and for the highly stressed, "quiet time" and pampering are favourite.

The report says that the situation is good news for manufacturers and retailers looking to capitalise on stressed consumers. Not only does stress induce higher value purchases but more of us will be stressed in the future as key reasons for the condition, including commuting and financial insecurity, look set to rise.