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Where
people are buying their Gifts: Despite relatively high
Internet access among people surveyed, 'Shops' (88 per cent)
are the most popular place to shop for gifts, followed by
'Malls' (80 per cent), with more than half indicating they
would shop online.
Online
shopping is popular across both SEC A and B (both 57 per cent)
and metros vs. non-metros (55per cent versus 59 per cent)
and with those aged 25 years and above. It is interesting
to note that online shopping is popular among people aged
45 and above (68 per cent).
Books
(46 per cent), Clothes (35 per cent), and CDs/DVDs (32 per
cent) are the favourite online gift purchases, each with 46,
35, and 32 percent respectively. People aged between 15 and
34 buy watches and clothes online and people in their mid
forties and over tend to buy more books.
"With
banks and other financial institutions taking the lead in
making sure online transactions are secure with adequate safety
measures, more and more people are taking advantage of the
ease of online shopping. Ever increasing work pressures, long
commutes, traffic snarls, and parking problems are other reasons
driving more people towards the convenient option of online
shopping," added Muthukumaran.
Occasions
for Gifting: Birthdays (96 per cent) and weddings (73
per cent) are the key occasions when gifts are purchased.
Purchasing gifts on Valentine's Day is popular among those
aged 15-34, whereas buying gifts for partners for wedding
anniversaries is more popular among the 35 plus years segment.
Gifting during Valentine's Day seems to be catching up in
smaller towns, with non-metros matching metros (around 30
per cent).
The
festival of lights "Diwali" is by far the biggest
reason for 84 per cent of people surveyed to buy gifts, followed
by Rakhi (57 per cent), New Year (46 per cent), Dushera/Puja
(45 per cent), and Christmas (24 per cent). It is interesting
to note that a higher percentage of people in the non-metros
give gifts during Christmas than in the metros (33% vs. 22%).
86
per cent of respondents buy Birthday gifts for immediate family
members and 68 percent for friends. During birthdays, buying
gifts for friends and colleagues is more prevalent in metros
than non-metros. The younger age group (15-34 years) is more
into buying gifts for friends' and colleagues' birthdays while
the older age group (35 and above) seem to limit birthday
gifting to immediate family members.
For
anniversaries, festivals, and passing exams, gifts seem limited
to immediate family members (81 per cent, 84 per cent, and
61 per cent respectively).
Gifting
Budget: The majority of Indian consumers believe their
gifting budget has increased over the past two years and is
likely to increase further over the next two years. People
also spend more on gifts for immediate family members with
an average spend of Rs.7,000 and the average spend amongst
the mature age group on gifting their immediate family is
even higher (average is around Rs. 13,000).
Extended family members and business partners are the next
groups likely to receive gifts of higher value, with the average
amount being around Rs.2,500 and Rs.3,000 respectively. The
average spend on gifts for friends and colleagues is around
Rs.2,000 and Rs.1,200 respectively.
"Rising
disposable incomes and an overall improvement in lifestyle
among Indian consumers are reflected in their gifting attitudes,"
adds Muthukumaran.
While
choosing a gift for someone, it is important for many to personally
choose the gift as well as make the gift unique. In addition
to this, for younger people (15-24 years), an element of surprise
with the choice of gift is seen to be important, while the
older set (35 years plus) believes that it's the thought that
counts.
"The
generous gifting attitude among increasingly affluent Indian
consumers presents huge opportunities to retailers. As the
Nielsen survey indicates, the experience of gift shopping,
many feel, would be enhanced if the shops offered services
such as gift-wrapping, gift delivery, and a refund policy
in case the recipient wants to exchange gifts. It's up to
the retailers to capture these golden opportunities by considering
such services to attract the big spenders" says Muthukumaran.
The survey also covered what people bought for themselves
or their households during festivals. Clothes and sweets (chocolates
included) were the most popular purchases for the household
(80 per cent and 61 per cent respectively), while people also
purchase mobile phones (45 v), entertainment gadgets such
as TVs/home theatre systems/DVD players (45 per cent), CD/DVDs/CDROMs
(44 per cent) and electrical appliances such as microwave,
washing machine, and refrigerator (42 per cent) during festivals.
These purchases were predominantly made during the festival
of Diwali. To herald the arrival of the New Year, young people
(15-24 years) are particularly interested in buying clothes.
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