Splurge or Save? Open or Wait? The Body Shop Global Gifting Survey Reveals USA is Divided about Gifting for Special Occasions

Plan or Cram? 
Survey results revealed that 59% of people in the USA begin shopping at least 2 months ahead for special occasions, which is ahead of the other countries surveyed, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sweden and the UK. Who plans the most?

• Women are more likely to plan at least two months ahead (63% versus 54% for men)
• Men tend to leave shopping to the last minute (49% versus 37% for women)
• Globally, gift givers don't plan as much as they do in the USA, and respondents in Japan came in as the least likely to plan ahead at only 11%

These are just a few of the many findings from The Body Shop's Global Gifting survey, which studied gifting behaviors of 1,950 men and women globally, including 100 men and 100 women between the ages of 16 and 65 in the USA.

It's Polite to Wait! 
According to the survey results, 65% think that it is polite to wait before opening a gift, while the other 35% think it is rude. Also, women are more likely to find it rude to not open the gift right away (39% versus 31% for men).

"The Body Shop is very well known as a gifting destination and we wanted to dig a little deeper to find out what lies behind the gift," says Arnaud Jeanteur, Global General Manager of Brand at The Body Shop. "In a world of instant gratification, we were very surprised with this finding. If you get a gift from The Body Shop, we'll understand if you want to open it immediately!"   

The Seven Year Gifting Itch  
In a long-term relationship?  Have you noticed the generosity of gifts decline?  Across every country, gender and age group, we found that the longer a relationship lasts, the less is spent on gifts for each other.

• Globally and in the USA, 15% of people said that they spend less on gifts for their partners than they used to
• People spend more on their significant others within the first 2 years of their relationship
• As the 'honeymoon period' ends, spending steadily declines, with lowest spend being year 7
• People spend more again at years 9 and 10, but, it's all downhill again after that

We Are All Present 'Tense' 
The survey revealed that gift giving is stressful for both sexes! The most common reason for all the worry? Not knowing what to buy and struggling for inspiration, which plagues 53% of USA respondents. 

• Globally, 43% of people find buying presents stressful, and men in the USA were the most likely to lose their cool – a whopping 56% get stressed over finding the perfect present

Are You a G with Gift Giving? 
Around the world, people admit to buying themselves a gift for special occasions, and in the USA, more than half of respondents admitted to buying gifts for themselves during special occasions, as opposed to only 29% who don't.

It's the Thought that Counts 
Globally, people agree it's the thought that counts, but men and women have opposing opinions in the USA!

• Only 6% say the most important thing is the amount of money spent, which is noticeably higher amongst men (10% versus 2% for women)
• Globally 41% of men say they give their most thoughtful gift to their partner; however, this is true for only 32% of men in the USA.
• In the USA, 50% agree that it's the thought, not the expense that matters the most when receiving a gift, while 25% say they prefer special, small gifts – this is particularly true for women (27% versus 22% for men)
• This year, 48% of people agree they will give a more personalized gift versus last year

"If you plan to keep this year's presents on-trend, The Body Shop is offering Limited Edition personalised Body Butters that are sure to drive your loved ones wild," says Jeanteur.

In addition, The Body Shop is offering a 'Create Your Own' offer. All you need to do is pick one of the beautiful, hand-crafted boxes or bags and fill up with bespoke and specially-selected treats, of which most are made by Get Paper Industry (GPI), our Community Trade partner in Nepal.  Since placing our first order with GPI in 1989, The Body Shop has helped to improve the status of women in the community, as well as helped to fund a new school, empowering girls to develop their education. And, since more than 95% of The Body Shop's products contain a Community Trade ingredient, your gifts are even more meaningful as they help to enhance the well-being of communities in need around the world. 

Beauty Advent Calendars are a Thing – and The Body Shop was the First! 
Did you know that The Body Shop was the first global beauty brand to launch an Advent calendar more than 15 years ago?

• Globally, 31% of respondents got sweet treats behind their daily doors, but beauty calendars are this year's big advent trend – 23% of people globally say they want a beauty gift calendar this year
• This year, The Body Shop is offering three different Advent Calendars to help make gift giving a breeze

About the Survey: Survey was commissioned in May 2016 and conducted by GFK. Ten markets were surveyed, total respondents of 1,950 men and women. Surveys were carried out online.

About The Body Shop: Founded in 1976 in Brighton, England, by Anita Roddick, The Body Shop is a global beauty brand. The Body Shop seeks to make a positive difference in the world by offering high-quality, naturally-inspired skincare, hair care and make-up produced ethically and sustainably. The Body Shop pioneered the philosophy that business can be a force for good and after being acquired by L'Oréal in 2006, it is scaling up its vision. Today, The Body Shop has more than 3,000 stores in more than 60 markets worldwide. 

About Community Trade: Community Trade is The Body Shop's own independently verified fair trade program, created in 1987. Our strong belief in a different, better way of doing business led us to be one of the first, if not the first, cosmetic company to introduce fair trade ingredients to our industry.

Over the past 30 years, we have sourced some of the finest ingredients and accessories from across the globe, ranging from Indian wooden massagers to Ghanaian shea butter and Italian olive oil, as well as pioneering the use of Community Trade organic alcohol in fragrances.

We are committed to trading fairly with suppliers and helping communities to thrive. Our program provides income and empowerment to thousands of people in exchange for generations of expertise.

We aim to grow bigger and better. 95% of our beauty products contain Community Trade ingredients, and we are working hard to make that 100%. As part of our Enrich Not Exploit™ Commitment, we will also double the number of ingredients sourced through our Community Trade program by 2020.

About GPI: Our Community Trade hand-crafted gift bags and boxes are made by the artisans of Get Paper Industry (GPI) in Kathmandu, Nepal. We placed our first order with GPI in 1989, and the organization has grown from 20 staff then to more than 400 men and women today. We work with product designers, construction experts and craftspeople to produce beautiful, eco-friendly paper goods, and have helped them develop a sustainable business through new, efficient and environmentally sustainable ways of working.

For more information on The Body Shop's holiday offerings or the holiday gifting survey, both USA and worldwide, please contact:

Kristin Breen, Alison Brod Communications + Marketing E: [email protected] 
Alyssa Keller, Alison Brod Communications + Marketing E: [email protected]

SOURCE The Body Shop