Which tech presents are Americans exchanging this Christmas?
A recently published YouGov report on Christmas gifting revealed that more than a quarter of American adults who engage in Christmas gift giving buy tech products to gift themselves or others (27%). Tech gifts are a more prominent choice among men (31%) compared to women (23%).
In this piece, based on data from YouGov Surveys, we explore what types of tech products these tech gift givers buy for others.
Headphones or earbuds are the most popular choice, with 41% of respondents indicating plans to buy them, showing equal appeal across genders. While headphones are an equally popular gifting choice among both men and women, for most other listed categories men show a markedly higher appetite.
Overall, significant proportions of tech-gifting Americans would also consider buying smartphones (35%) and laptops (29%), smartwatches or fitness trackers (24%), smart TVs (25%), gaming consoles (23%).
A fifth of Americans say they will pick up tablets (19%), with women slightly more likely than men to choose this option (20% vs 18%).
The difference men and women is sharpest for categories like smartphones (40% vs 29%), laptops (34% vs 23%), smart watches/fitness trackers (28% vs 18%), gaming consoles (28% vs 17%) and PCs (13% vs 6%).
Where will consumers buy the gifts?
When it comes to shopping for tech gifts, online retailers dominate as the preferred choice, with 68% of respondents planning to purchase from platforms like Amazon or eBay. Women are slightly more inclined than men to shop online (71% vs. 66%), highlighting their preference for convenience. Brand websites such as Apple and Samsung appeal more strongly to men (43% compared to 26% of women), as do physical electronics stores (37% of men vs. 23% of women).
Department stores and supermarkets are a moderately popular option (32%), with a fairly balanced appeal between genders. These trends underscore the importance of a robust e-commerce presence, coupled with targeted in-store promotions to capture male shoppers' interest.
What are people expecting to receive as presents?
When it comes to expectations, a big chunk of Americans simply aren’t placing any bets on receiving any of these popular tech and electronic products as gifts. Nearly half of respondents (46%) don’t anticipate getting any tech products. Women (55%) are far more likely to say they are expecting none of the listed items as gifts compared to men (36%).
Among those expecting tech gifts, headphones or earbuds (12%) and smartphones (11%) top the list, with men being significantly more likely than women to expect these items (17% vs. 7% for headphones and 15% vs. 7% for smartphones). Laptops (9%), smartwatches or fitness trackers (10%), and gaming consoles (7%) follow, again showing a stronger male bias. The overall cautious expectations suggest that while tech remains a desired gift category, practicalities or gifting patterns might lead many to assume they won’t be unwrapping high-tech presents this Christmas.
Image: Getty Images