A study by The Body Shop has revealed how gift-giving habits differ globally. The L’Oréal brand surveyed 1,950 consumers across ten countries to shed light on what is considered appropriate gifting etiquette and identify present-related spending habits.
In Hong Kong, 87% of consumers thought it was best not to open a gift immediately, compared to 71% in Japan and Saudi Arabia. Conversely 51% of Brazilian shoppers considered it good practice to wait.
Seven year itch?
Looking at gift-buying patterns, the survey identified clear gift spending trends among couples. Couples in relationships tended to spend the most on gifts for each other during the first two years of their relationship.
After that, the amount spent on gifts was said to steadily decline, with the lowest spend in the seventh year of a relationship. However at this point, couples start to spend more particularly in years nine to ten, before another decline.
Shopping stress
Male consumers admitted feeling stressed about shopping, with 61% of men getting anxious while shopping for gifts. This compares to just 41% of the population overall.
The most common reason for getting stressed was “not knowing what to buy”, with 35% of consumers citing this as the reason behind their stress.
Last minute shoppers
Consumers were evenly split between those who shop in advance and those who leave it until later, with 38% shopping early and 40% waiting until the last minute. Consumers in the UK and US were the most organised, with 57% and 59% respectively choosing to shop in advance. This is in contrast to Saudi Arabia, where 55% of consumers prefer to shop at the last minute.
Beauty calendars
Beauty calendars were a popular gift, with 23% of consumers saying they would like to receive one this year. The gift was particularly popular in Brazil and South Korea, where half of consumers wanted one.
Internal data from The Body Shop found that beauty advent calendars were most likely to be purchased by men, typically as a gift.
Treat yourself
Perhaps surprisingly, male consumers were found to be equally as likely as females to treat themselves while gift-shopping.
Over festive periods such as Christmas, Ramadan and Diwali, 37% of men and 41% of women said that they purchase items for themselves; 73% of consumers in Saudi Arabia admitted to treating themselves, while 21% did in South Korea.
Taking advantage of the data
The survey’s results draw attention to the fact that gifting habits and perceptions not only vary differently by region, but are also affected by the relationship status and gender of the consumer. Brands that draft their gifting proposition strategies with these findings in mind could be at an advantage.
© 2016 The Body Shop International Plc