Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The insights
- Holidays get all the attention, but gifting happens all year-round
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- Figure 1: Occasions consumers typically give gifts for, September 2019
- Preference for giving gift cards is edging out traditional gifts
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- Figure 2: Attitudes towards monetary gifts, September 2019
- The potential of experiences as gifts has not been unlocked
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- Figure 3: Gift giving preferences, September 2019
- The opportunities
- Promoting self-gifting – in good times and bad
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- Figure 4: Self-gifting tendencies and occasions (% agree), September 2019
- As gifting isn’t all fun and games, consumers wish for more wish lists
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- Figure 5: ‘I wish more retailer apps/websites would have wish lists for people to keep track of their ideas’ (% agree), by age, September 2019
- Home-based meals and celebrations are a gift to gifting
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- Figure 6: ‘I would rather host/treat recipients to a meal than give a traditional gift’ (% agree), by age, September 2019
- What it means
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Interest in gifting may wane as consumer confidence softens
- Seamless experiences count for more as online shopping picks up
- Amazon’s presence continues to loom
- Younger consumers are more keen on experiences
- More diversity means more potential gifting occasions
Market Factors
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- Softening confidence in financial health may negatively impact gifting
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- Figure 7: Perception of financial health, January/February 2016-19
- Seamless experiences matter as more consumers go online
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- Figure 8: Percentage of total shopping done online, April 2018
- Younger consumers are prioritizing experiences
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- Figure 9: “I’d rather spend money on experiences than things” (% any agree), by generation, June 2019
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- Figure 10: “I prefer to receive experiences (eg movie/concert ticket) rather than physical gift items” (% any agree), by generation, September 2019
- The presence of Amazon looms large
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- Figure 11: Percentage of total online shopping done on Amazon, April 2018
- Increased diversity may open up more gifting occasions
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- Figure 12: Distribution of foreign-born population in Canada, by region of birth, 1871 to 2036
- Embracing diversity will matter more to Gen Z
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- Figure 13: Self-identification of ethnicity, by generation, June 2019
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- A gift to gifting: Canadians like to host meals
- Amazon’s presence looms large and will take up more space in gifting
- Marketers are missing out on men, good potential lies with fathers
- More companies are building bridges to address pain points
- Catering to the next generation
What’s Working?
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- Home-based celebrations are a gift to gifting
- Canadians include home-based meals as part of their holiday celebrations
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- Figure 14: Holiday traditions, March 2018
- Canadians are hosting guests regularly
- Consumer searches for home décor ideas have increased
- The strong presence of discount/dollar stores are beneficial
- Searches for food and drink ideas
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- Figure 15: Classic Oysters Rockefeller, November 2018
- Figure 16: Jumbleberry Croissant Strata, November 2018
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- Figure 17: Gingerbread & Blueberry Butter Cookie Trifle, November 2018
- Focusing in on togetherness: spotlight on Loblaws
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- Figure 18: #EatTogether 2017, December 2016
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- Figure 19: #EatTogether 2018, December 2017
- Figure 20: #EatTogether 2019, December 2018
- Amazon is top of mind for consumers of all ages…
- …for general shopping needs
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- Figure 21: Proportion of total online shopping done on Amazon.ca, by household income, April 2018
- …and gifting
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- Figure 22: Planned shopping at Amazon, by age, March 2018
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- Figure 23: Keep the surprise a surprise with Amazon Locker, August 2018
What Needs More Attention?
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- More needs to be done to engage men with gifting
- Men aren’t gifting as much as women – to others or themselves
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- Figure 24: Repertoire analysis of number of occasions consumers typically give gifts for, men vs women, September 2019
- Promoting experts to draw fathers as they shop outside of comfort zones when gift shopping
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- Figure 25: Likelihood to shop at retailers outside of normal routine and consult expert for gift ideas (% agree), fathers with under-18s at home vs overall, September 2019
- Companies will gain by offering a helping hand, and make it seamless
- Lots of benefits to be had for retailers in categories where men are less engaged
What’s Next?
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- Building bridges between gift givers and receivers
- Giving the receiver some room to give input: spotlight on GiftNow
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- Figure 26: Instant, Thoughtful, Stress-Free Gifting, March 2018
- Figure 27: Uniqlo, September 2019
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- Figure 28: Kenneth Cole, June 2019
- Sharing is caring – even wish lists: spotlight on Amazon
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- Figure 29: Amazon email, May 2018
- More options available to younger consumers to come
- Spotlight on Amazon Teen
- Spotlight on Greenlight
- (Younger) Gen Z have more spending power than ever before
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Surprise! More Canadians are gifting for birthdays than holidays
- Gift cards are as much of a staple as traditional gifts
- The potential of experiences remains relatively untapped
- Canadians are treating themselves – in good times and bad
- Gifting isn’t all fun and games, wish lists can help address pain points
Gifting Occasions
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- Birthdays and milestones outpace holidays for gift giving
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- Figure 30: Occasions consumers typically give gifts for, September 2019
- Birthdays are a more personal occasion – in their words
- Help them keep track of key dates
- Women are gifting more often
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- Figure 31: Repertoire analysis of number of occasions consumers typically give gifts for, women vs men, September 2019
- Be proactive about helping them keep track of ideas for different occasions
- Anniversaries are an important occasion for fathers
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- Figure 32: Typically give gifts for anniversary, fathers vs mothers and overall, September 2019
Type of Gifts Given
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- Gift cards are as much of a staple as traditional gifts
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- Figure 33: Types of gifts purchased, September 2019
- The universal appeal of gift cards helps
- Remind consumers to toast a range of occasions with alcoholic beverages
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- Figure 34: Jackson-Triggs Instagram post, March 2019
- Figure 35: Wine-Infused Fruit Salad Recipe with Woodbridge Sauvignon Blanc, June 2018
- Parents with tweens/teens lean more on gift cards
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- Figure 36: Bought gift cards, by parental status, September 2019
- Gains to be had by giving the tweens/teens some control ahead of time
- Gen Z women are gifting food and health/beauty products
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- Figure 37: Purchase food and health or beauty products, Gen Z women vs overall, September 2019
- Focus on the social connection part of gifting
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- Figure 38: Together, March 2019
Attitudes towards Gift Types: Traditional, Gift Cards and Experiences
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- Traditional gifts may be losing their edge to monetary gifts and experiences
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- Figure 39: Gift giving preferences, September 2019
- Personalization remains a key barrier to purchasing gift cards
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- Figure 40: Attitudes towards monetary gifts, September 2019
- Help them add a personal touch: spotlight on Tim Hortons
- Gift cards or monetary gifts allow the receiver to choose their own – in their words
- Highlight flexibility where possible
- Calling attention to monetary gifts as customary in other cultures may also help
- One more consideration: gift cards don’t have to be the entire gift
- A caveat: be clear about limitations
- The potential of gifting experiences has not been realized yet
- Remember, ‘experiences’ today encompass a broad range of categories
- Connecting traditional items to experiences: spotlight on Flowers for Dreams
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- Figure 41: Flowers for Dreams Instagram post, October 2019
- A consideration point: flexibility in redemption options if available
- Another consideration point: expiry dates and refund policies
- Efforts put towards promoting experiences will appeal to younger consumers
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- Figure 42: ‘I would rather give experiences than traditional gifts’ (% agree), by age, September 2019
- Hello food-based celebrations! LGBT+ and younger consumers are keener on hosting or treating for meals
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- Figure 43: ‘I would rather host/treat recipients to a meal than give a traditional gift’ (% agree), LGBT+ vs overall, September 2019
- Special consideration: give the rainbow roots
- Promoting greater inclusivity: spotlight on Skyy Vodka
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- Figure 44: Trixie Mattel Presents Home of the Brave: Getting Ready, June 2019
- Don’t underestimate the potential benefits of promoting self-gifting
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- Figure 45: Self-gifting tendencies and occasions (% agree), September 2019
- Help them keep a running list to tap into impulse shopping
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- Figure 46: ‘I have a wish list of things I eventually want to treat myself to’ (% agree), women 18-34 vs overall, September 2019
- Mood boosting qualities of self-gifting a draw for young women
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- Figure 47: Select self-gifting tendencies and occasions (% agree), women 18-34 vs overall, September 2019
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- Figure 48: Kenneth Cole, November 2018
- Figure 49: Smashbox, November 2018
- Self-gifting is a good time to advance Gen Z women up tiered products
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- Figure 50: ‘When I treat myself I typically spend more than what I would on an everyday purchase’ (% agree), Women 18-24 vs overall, September 2019
Attitudes towards Wish Lists and Registries
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- Wish lists can help address pain points of gift giving and receiving
- Getting unwanted gifts results in additional effort for gift receivers
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- Figure 51: Attitudes towards gift receipts and unwanted gifts, September 2019
- Wish lists are a bridge, but need to be seamless
- Younger consumers wish for more wish lists
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- Figure 52: Desire for wish lists and preference to use gift registries when giving gifts (% agree), by age, September 2019
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- Figure 53: Openness to creating wish lists and perceived usefulness of gift registries (% agree), by age, September 2019
- Special consideration: position wish lists as different from registries
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- Figure 54: ‘Creating a gift registry makes my friends and family feel obligated to give me a gift’ (% agree), by age, September 2019
- Registries would benefit from a refresh
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- Figure 55: ‘Gift registries are useful as it ensures I receive what I want’ (% agree), by age, September 2019
- Registering for experiences: spotlight on Bed Bath & Beyond
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Consumer qualitative research
- Abbreviations
- Terms
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