Americans Will Spend 14 Hours Shopping This Holiday Season, But 71% Will Probably Not Like the Gift You Pick, Says Rakuten.com
ALISO VIEJO, Calif., Nov. 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Rakuten, one of the world's largest online retail marketplaces, today reveals the results of its Rakuten Shopping Secrets survey. The study, conducted with consumers over seven markets, shows that Americans will spend almost 14 hours shopping for friends and loved ones this year. This breaks down to 3.94 trips per person, spending an average of 3.5 hours per trip. Children, partners and moms were found to take the most dedication when shopping at 90 minutes, 77 minutes and 70 minutes respectively.
The survey revealed the most difficult person to buy gifts for is a spouse or partner (20%), followed by mom (12%), dad (10%) and finally children (9%). However, some Americans find the shopping ordeal pretty easy with 20% saying they find "no one" difficult to buy for - lucky them! These may have been the same respondents that admitted they spend around half an hour treating themselves to a little retail therapy.
Unwanted Gifts
When receiving unwanted gifts, respondents admitted to putting their gift somewhere and forgetting about it (44%). Depending on the item, some have re-gifted a present to someone else (35%), others (27%) will donate it to charity and the most enterprising among us will sell it off (14%).
The Perfect Gift for a Partner or Spouse?
When it comes to spouses or partners who are viewed as the most difficult person to buy for, the answer may be quite simple - 43% would prefer a kiss or hugs! However, no one really wants to show up empty-handed; the survey revealed that 29% of respondents want fashion accessories, 27% would like jewelry, 26% food and a holiday tipple and 13% would love a blank check to pay the bills!
Keeping Stress Levels in Check!
Almost half of Americans (45%) surveyed find the holiday season stressful. And when compared to their counterparts in Europe and Asia they were found to be third most stressed after Spain (57%) and the UK (51%). Main stress factors include, having to spend a lot of money (51%), not knowing what to buy as a gift (46%) and being afraid of the recipient not liking the gift (31%). From the results earlier, this may not be completely unfounded!
"The holiday season is a time to spend with family and loved ones. Yet, we all spend too much time worrying whether we have bought the perfect gifts. A couple of tips to help reduce stress levels during the holiday season - start shopping early to avoid the rush and take the pain out of mall shopping by seeing which items you can find online," said George Chang, Senior Vice President, Rakuten.com. "To help you get started on those shopping lists, we've pulled together some great deals which you'll find in our Holiday Store."
Real-Life Shopping Versus the Web?
More than half of Americans surveyed dread going out to the shopping mall (55%) - more than their European and Asian counterparts. A high percentage doesn't like the crowds (87%), with two thirds of American shoppers surveyed (61%) preferring to shop online for the holidays. This trend mirrors Rakuten's E-Commerce Index earlier this year, which showed that tablet usage for shopping has grown by 41.9% in the last year, surpassing smartphones as the most used mobile device for shopping.
About the Survey
The findings are part of the Rakuten Shopping Secrets survey, commissioned by Rakuten, one of the world's largest online retail marketplaces. The survey aims to uncover fun facts about shopping - the world's favorite pastime - among consumers in Asia, Europe and America. In the U.S. 1,000 men and women were interviewed through an online survey carried out in October 2014 by Added Value Saffron Hill.
About Rakuten
Rakuten, Inc. (4755: Tokyo), is one of the world's leading Internet service companies. We provide a variety of products and services for consumers and businesses, with a focus on e-commerce, finance, and digital content. In both 2012 and 2013, Rakuten was ranked among the world's 'Top 10 Most Innovative Companies' in Forbes magazine's annual list. Rakuten is expanding worldwide and currently operates throughout Asia, Europe, the Americas and Oceania. Founded in 1997, Rakuten is headquartered in Tokyo, with over 11,000 employees and partner staff worldwide. For more information: http://global.rakuten.com/corp/
About Rakuten.com
Rakuten.com is a global e-commerce site that connects buyers and sellers in a dynamic marketplace and thinks of shopping as entertainment - complete with sharing and discovery functions, great prices, fun experiences and convenience. Rakuten.com provides over 20 million products in 24 categories and includes a network of over 5,500 small and large business shop owners. Rakuten.com was founded as Buy.com in 1997 and acquired by Rakuten Inc. in May 2010. Its 150 employees are headquartered in Aliso Viejo, California.
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141119/159521-INFO
SOURCE Rakuten, Inc.
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