Thoughtfulness… or because we have to? Survey reveals top gifting trends in the UK
We’re big fans of sending a gift as a way to care wildly. Whether it’s a birthday, wedding, Christmas. A new home, new baby, new job. Or simply to say “thanks” for being a great pal, a thoughtful gift can go a long way in showing someone you’re thinking of them. The positive vibes are two-way too. Several studies have shown that spending money on someone else promotes happiness. We call that a win-win.
So the feel good factor is something that’s been researched and agreed upon. But what else do we feel — and do — when it comes to gifting?
How many of us buy something for someone because we feel we have to? Who’s the most likely to spend more on presents, men or women? Are we a nation of gift recipients too polite to say how we really feel when we undo that wrapping? Which region is the most likely to look for a deal when they buy a gift? And do people prefer to say “congratulations” with a box of chocolates or something a little more alcoholic?
We surveyed 500 people across the UK to find out the latest gifting trends. Spoiler: It looks like we all approach the art of gift giving very differently.
Thoughtful, grateful or apologetic? Here’s why people send gifts
We’ve got a caring bunch. Out of our respondents, 61.43% said they give gifts to show they care. More women (65%) use this as a reason, vs men (57%).
Thoughtful gifts came a close second. 49.11% send gifts as a thoughtful gesture, with 54% of women saying they like to send thoughtful gifts, vs 45% of men. 56.6% of those surveyed say thoughtfulness is more important than price.
People in Wales are the most thoughtful. Across the UK, 62.50% in Wales said they send gifts to show thoughtfulness. It’s not as big of a reason for people in the South East, with 44.44% of residents in the region saying they do so.
Our respondents are cheerleaders. 54.27% said they give gifts to celebrate a big moment.
Saying “thanks” with a gift is a big gifting trend in the UK, with 48.11% of those surveyed giving this as a reason. Men are more likely to express gratitude with a gift (51%) vs women (45%).
Londoners are the most likely to send gifts to say thank you to someone. 56.90% of people in London express gratitude with gifts, while those in the South East are least likely (33.33%).
There’s a sense of obligation, but not for many. Just 15.71% give gifts because they feel they have to.
Saying sorry with a gift? It’s a yes for some. 12.72% give someone a gift as a way of apologising.
Some give gifts because they want to return the favour. Out of our respondents, 20.28% said they give gifts to reciprocate.
The East of England loves an excuse to celebrate… 64.41% of our respondents in the region said they give gifts to celebrate achievements and milestones. Wales is least likely to do so, with just 12.50% of our Welsh respondents stating they would buy a gift as a way to celebrate.
…And to mark an anniversary. The East of England was the region with the most people who said they’d buy a gift for an anniversary (84.75%).
What about receiving gifts? Happy, grateful… or a bit embarrassed?
Most feel good when they receive a gift. Happy (59.84%), loved (53.68%), and grateful (57.46%) were the most common feelings. Only a few said they feel nervous (4.77%) or embarrassed (8.75%).
Women attach more positive emotions to receiving a gift than men. 63% of women were happy receiving a gift (vs 55% of men), 40% felt “warm” (vs 26% of men), 63% felt “loved” (vs 44% of men), and 61% felt grateful (vs 53% of men).
Politeness trumps honesty, especially for women. 42% of women have pretended to like a present, vs only 26% of men. It makes sense then that 28% of women have given their unwanted gifts to someone else, vs 17% of men. Let’s hope they changed the name tag first…
Not acknowledging a gift is a no-no for our respondents, with 40.76% believing that’s rude.
Chocs, flowers, or a bottle of fizz? Here are the most popular gifts
Edible treats = excellent gift ideas. Chocolates, sweets and biscuits are the most popular gifts to give on Valentine’s Day, Christmas and Birthdays
Flowers and plants are the go-to gifts for Mother’s Day and anniversaries.
32% of men go straight for the flowers for Valentine’s Day. Women were more split, saying that homeware, alcoholic drinks, bath and body and baked treats were all good gifts to mark 14 February.
Alcoholic drinks are the go-to gifts for Father’s Day. More men think alcoholic drinks are good presents for this occasion (33%) than women (20%).
Edible treats = excellent gift ideas. Chocolates, sweets and biscuits are the most popular gifts to give on Valentine’s Day, Christmas and Birthdays
Flowers and plants are the go-to gifts for Mother’s Day and anniversaries.
32% of men go straight for the flowers for Valentine’s Day. Women were more split, saying that homeware, alcoholic drinks, bath and body and baked treats were all good gifts to mark 14 February.
Alcoholic drinks are the go-to gifts for Father’s Day. More men think alcoholic drinks are good presents for this occasion (33%) than women (20%).
Quality, personalisation, or a good bargain? Here’s what people look for when buying a gift
Quality is a big deal for everyone. Product quality was the top priority for 76.94% of our respondents. Across the UK, those in Scotland were most concerned about quality (82.93%).
Women like personalised gifts more than men. 37% of women placed importance on a gift being personalised or custom made vs 20% of men.
People in Yorkshire, London and the North East love a bargain more than most. Out of our respondents, 24.14% in London said they value discounts and deals, while those in North East and Yorkshire came in second at 19.64%.
Women are deal hunters. 11% of men were motivated by discounts and deals, vs 21% of women.
People in Wales like choice. 62.50% of those in Wales said they look for a diverse and attractive range of products. People in the North West put less emphasis on this, with 41.67% saying they value choice when looking for a gift.
What’s on the outside counts… for some. People in the East of England (30.51%), North East / Yorkshire (32.14%), and Wales (25.00%) said they look for the option of gift wrapping with a gift.
The most wonderful time of the year, or the most stressful? Here’s when people send gifts — and how they feel about it.
Christmas and birthdays are the most popular gift giving occasions. 83.3% of our respondents give gifts for birthdays, followed by 72.17% at Christmas. Mother’s Day came in third, with 48.31% giving gifts to mark the occasion.
Christmas is the most stressful time of year, with 40.16% feeling stressed in the lead up. It’s also the splurgiest, with 20.28% spending £100-£200 and 18.29% spending over £500. Women (22%) are more likely to spend over £500 than men (14%).
Baby showers are most likely to come with a gift in the South East. In this region, 44.44% said they wouldn’t go to a baby shower empty-handed. The most thoughtful baby shower gifts? Our respondents said they’d most likely give bath and body products. It’s not as important in the East of England, where 22.03% said they would welcome a new baby with a gift.
Londoners are most likely to buy gifts for Mother’s Day (58.62%).
Father’s Day gifts are most popular in the South East, and least popular in Northern Ireland. 83.33% of our respondents in the South East say they purchase gifts for Father’s Day. Those in Northern Ireland are less likely to give a gift on Father’s Day (41.18%).
Women give gifts for more occasions than men… except on anniversaries. 56% of women send gifts for mother’s day (vs 40% for men) and 85% vs 81% for birthday. 19% of women send new home gifts vs 9% for men. The only category men were more active within was anniversary, with 43% of men buying gifts to celebrate this milestone vs 40% of women.
Men feel most stressed buying gifts for Valentine’s Day. Women experienced feeling of stress and pressure for all the gifting occasions, other than Valentine’s Day where men were 71% more likely to feel under pressure.
Top 10 gifting trends in the UK
42% of women have pretended to like a gift vs only 26% of men
54% give gifts to celebrate a big moment
56% said thoughtfulness is more important than price
71% of men feel most stressed at Valentine’s Day versus other gifting occasions
48% give gifts to say “thanks”
There’s a sense of obligation, but not for many. Only 16% give gifts because they feel they have to
62% of people primarily give gifts to show they care
60% feel happy when they receive a gift
77% of our respondents said that product quality was the top priority when buying gifts
Women like personalised gifts more than men. 37% of women placed importance on a gift being personalised or custom made vs 20% of men.
Given the diversity of gifting habits and preferences revealed in this survey, it's clear that people across the UK value thoughtful, quality gifts for various occasions - a trend that aligns well with the growing popularity of gifts by post.