Cadbury Chocolate Parcels
It really is the thought that counts, as Brits rank thoughtfulness as the key ingredient in the formula for the perfect Christmas gift with cost coming in as the least important element.
Despite this, a staggering £10.8 billion will be spent on festive gifts this year, according to a new ‘Brit Gift’ study by Opinion Matters for Cadbury to launch their ‘Tweet-a-Treat’ Christmas campaign. ‘Tweet-a-Treat’ will involve a week of Cadbury chocolate treat giving starting on Twitter today.
As the quest to treat someone to the perfect Christmas gift gets into full swing, 2,250 UK adults were asked to score - out of 100 per cent - the elements that contribute to a perfect present. The findings show that people are rediscovering the true value of a considerate present with the formula for the perfect gift consisting of:
• The thought that goes into the gift (42 per cent)
• The amount of research undertaken to find it (22 per cent)
• How personalised it is to the recipient (21 per cent)
• How much is spent on the gift (15 per cent)
Time spent on gifting:
The research shows that Brits really are a thoughtful bunch as a third (35 per cent) of people will spend over 10 hours researching, buying and lovingly wrapping Christmas treats for loved ones, while a dedicated 8 per cent will spend over 20 hours. Over a lifetime this means that a third of UK adults will dedicate almost one month to festive gifting for their friends and family.
When it comes to unearthing that special gift for everyone on their lists, women spend almost twice as much time as men on gifting, with 45 per cent of women clocking up over 10 hours, while only 26 per cent of men match this time dedication.
Most stressful gifts to find:
When asked to rank the people that are most stressful to buy Christmas gifts for, partners topped the festive shopping list as the most stressful while Secret Santa gifts for work colleagues are the least stressful gifts to buy. The pressure is on for men in particular, as more men than women find their partner the most stressful to buy for.
Festive hinting:
While tis’ the season to be thoughtful, the research shows that many people are leaving nothing to chance as nearly two fifths (37 per cent) confess that they will drop between three to five hints to receive the gift they want this Christmas. A further 1 in 10 people will hint six to 10 times, while a persistent 5 per cent of UK adults will drop 16 to 20 hints to secure their desired gift.
The research also crowns 55+ year-olds as Britain’s top hinters with over half (56 per cent) admitting they will hint one or twice to secure the festive treat their heart desires.
The research into the nation’s festive gifting habits, involving 2,250 adults, was released today to launch Cadbury’s Christmas ‘Tweet-a-Treat’ campaign. Over a seven day period from Thursday 6th December to Thursday 13th December, Cadbury is inviting the great British public to tell them, through Twitter @CadburyUK, why someone in their lives deserves a yuletide treat. A number of tweets will be selected at random each day to receive a pair of #Cadburytreat festive hampers – one for the tweeter to enjoy and the other for them to gift to the person who has made a difference in their lives.
Spending:
• Brits will spend £10.8billion on festive gifts this year with each adult spending an average of £263.
• Adults will spend more on ‘me gifts’ (£50) than on gifts for mum (£44) and dad (£37).
• More will be spent on gifts for work colleagues (£29) than grandparents (£15), siblings (£27) and friends (£28).
Top stocking fillers:
• The most cherished stocking fillers for UK adults are slippers (25 per cent), a selection box (24 per cent) and pyjamas (23 per cent).
• For women, pyjama’s (37 per cent) are the favourite traditional gift, while for men deodorant (23 per cent) is their must-have stocking filler.
Do you think it’s the thought that counts or the amount that is spent? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below or tweeting us @FemaleFirst_UK
Cara Mason @cara_mason