Holiday Shoppers’ Generosity Extends beyond Friends and Family … to Themselves
November 27, 2013- TORONTO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–One third of holiday shoppers will be buying gifts for themselves this year, while spending the rest of the budget on friends and family. This is one of the findings from the Maritz Loyalty Marketing 2013 Gift Buying Omi Survey. In November 2013, 1,000 consumers participated in an online survey to share their insights on gift buying for the holiday season as well as in general.
Here are some of the highlights:
- Men will spend 38% of their gift budget on themselves vs. 28% for females.
- On average, Americans expect to spend $510 on gifts for friends and family this holiday season … and $257 on gifts for themselves.
- Loyalty/Reward points play a big role in stretching the holiday budget.
41% of Americans said they have redeemed customer loyalty/rewards program points to give the rewards or benefits as gifts. MyPoints, Discover Points and Amazon points are redeemed most frequently for this purpose. - Loyalty/Reward points will greatly impact where shoppers buy gifts this year.
- 69% of consumers say that their choice of retailer is influenced by where they can earn customer loyalty/rewards program points.
- Brands matter most for purchases of chocolates, gift cards and apparel. Consumers were asked about the likelihood of choosing a more expensive product for a friend or family member because of its brand name. Brand had most influence for Candies/Chocolates, Gift Cards, Clothing and Apparel.
- If brand matters for friends’ gifts, it matters for their own gifts too.77% of people buy the same brand name product for the recipient as they would for themselves.
- Online shopping clicks with people … but only if it’s within the USA. 74% will shop for the perfect brand name gift online from a US retailer. Only 18% will buy online from international retailers.
% of Consumers Very or Somewhat likely to choose amore expensive gift because of its brand name
- Candies/Chocolates 63%
- Gift Cards 62%
- Clothing and Apparel 59%
“After a few years of having to pull back on holiday spending, it seems people are looking forward to playing Santa Claus this year by spending more on their family and friends, as well as treating themselves,” Scott Robinson senior director, loyalty solutions & consulting, Maritz Loyalty Marketing, said. “It’s also great to see the important role that loyalty programs have in helping consumers stretch their budgets and also benefit from rewards for themselves.”
“As someone who believes in the power of brands, I’m not surprised to see that shoppers prefer to gift the brands they themselves enjoy, and are also willing to spend more for brands, especially on gift items where the brand is prominent,” added Robinson.
About Maritz Loyalty Marketing
Maritz Loyalty Marketing is a full-service North American Loyalty Marketing agency with offices in Toronto, New York and Minneapolis. Its brand loyalty marketing and technology-enabled lifecycle engagement solutions drive measurable business results for its clients. Leveraging over 120 years of history, experience and expertise from the Maritz family of companies, Maritz Loyalty Marketing provides its clients with consumer loyalty solutions that consider the holistic consumer experience at every brand touch point and through all stages of the relationship lifecycle. Maritz Loyalty Marketing is wholly owned by Maritz Holdings Inc. based in St. Louis, Missouri. Maritz Loyalty Marketing designs, builds and operates brand-aligned, customer-relevant and financially-viable consumer loyalty solutions for top global brands.
Please visit www.maritzloyaltymarketing.com.
