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American Express survey reveals gift cards to be ideal cure for yearly ailment
Wearing a tacky holiday-themed sweater (14%) and giving up chocolate for the season (12%) top the list of actions Canadians would be willing to take to ensure they get a gift they can use this year.
"The idea of 'holiday sweater syndrome' is having its cultural moment right now in
When asked what type of gift they would actually like to receive from the 'worst gift-giver' in their lives, 56 per cent of respondents said they would rather receive a gift card than a gift basket (12%), home décor (11%), jewellery (13%) or clothes (13%).
In fact, a full 83 per cent of people surveyed said they like to receive gift cards because they enjoy choosing their own gifts.
"Holiday shoppers should also consider the aftermath of an unwanted gift," Simmons said.
Almost one-third of Canadians (29%) have returned a gift they didn't like, while the same number have re-gifted a gift to someone else.
Simmons suggests the following tips for personalizing and getting the most out of your Gift Card this season:
- Don't buy the next best thing: If the gift your friend really wants
is a top-of-the-line music player, don't buy the next best thing to
keep within your budget. Package your $50 gift card with a magazine
clipping of the item your friend has been saving for all year.
- Not all gift cards are created equally: Look for a multi-purpose card
like the new American Express Gift Card that gives users the freedom
to shop at a variety of stores, and can also be used to buy anything
from basic essentials to luxuries they wouldn't normally buy. This
kind of card was most appealing to Canadians (36%).
- Put the present back in presentation: If your wife plans to use the
Gift Card on spa services, package the card in the pocket of a plush
terrycloth robe.
- Not all holiday leftovers go bad: Roughly one-in-three people (31%)
are concerned about the expiry date on gift cards and one-in-four
(25%) are worried that the receiver will lose the gift card before
they get a chance to use it. American Express' new card puts these
concerns at ease by offering Canadians a universal gift card option
that has no fees for card replacement, plus the funds on the cards
never expire.
American Express
"We want customers to feel good about a product that has no fees for the recipient, and the funds never expire," said Howard Grosfield, VP American Express
Other Research Highlights:
Findings by gender:
- Women are more likely than men to say that "none of the gifts" they
give this year will be in the form of gift cards (21% vs. 16%), but
are paradoxically more likely than men to have specifically asked for
a gift card (35% vs. 22%).
- Men are more likely than women to just buy what they think people
will like without thinking about price (44% vs. 31%), as are 18-34
year-olds versus those aged 35+.
- More men say buying gift cards makes their holiday shopping easier,
with 88 per cent indicating this is true.
Regional Findings:
- Residents of Quebec are more likely to save their gift cards for
January markdowns, with 36 per cent indicating they intend to wait
for sales. Atlantic Canadians prefer the frenzy of Boxing Day, with
15 per cent saying they pull out the gift cards on December 26th.
- The practice of re-gifting is most popular in Ontario, with 39 per
cent indicating they had re-gifted at some point in the past.
- Residents of BC are the most likely to return gifts they don't like,
with nearly half (48%) indicating they had returned a gift in the
past.
- Gift-givers in Manitoba and Saskatchewan are the most generous, with
36 per cent indicating that buying a gift they think people will
like, regardless of the price, is a "pretty good idea."
Findings by age:
- Thirty and forty-somethings (ages 35 to 44) are more likely than
their older or younger cohorts to think giving a gift card to save
money is a good idea (90% vs. 79% among those 18-34 and 80% among
those 55+).
- 18-34 year-olds are more likely than those aged 35+ to spend less
than $50 per person while those aged 55+ are more likely than those
aged 18-54 to spend between $101-250.
For more survey results, please see the media contact below.
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