According to a recent poll of Central New Yorkers conducted by Research & Marketing Strategies, Inc. (RMS) ViewPoint, 24% of individuals purchase 10 to 12 gifts this holiday season, with 21% purchasing for 7 to 9 people, and 19% for both 4 to 6 and more than 15 people. When it comes to starting their holiday shopping, many (32%) stated that they start up to 3 months beforehand, while 25% start less than a month before and 16% start shopping on Black Friday. Nearly half (48%) of participants took on the Black Friday crowds this season, and of those who shop on Black Friday, only 38% will arrive before the store opens.

When we asked respondents to indicate who the hardest person to shop for is, many females said it was their boyfriend/husband (30%), with fathers coming in second (18%). The males responded similarly with close to half (41%) saying their girlfriend/wife, and mothers coming in second (19%) as the hardest to buy for during the holiday season.

As much as we don’t like admitting it, some gifts are just not your style, you couldn’t see yourself using it, or you just don’t want it (putting it nicely). When we asked respondents if they have ever re-gifted a present during the holiday season, more than half (51%) confirmed that they have.

Respondents indicated that on average, they spend approximately $945 during the holiday season. More than half (57%) of respondents stated that they do a majority of their holiday shopping online, and 39% shop at shopping malls/general stand alone stores. Of those who shop online, 90% plan to shop on Amazon.com this holiday season, while 75% will shop on retail websites such as Walmart.com, Target.com, and jcpenney.com. Others (24%) indicated that they will shop at discount online sites such as Overstock.com, Wayfair.com, Jet.com, and Zulily.com. All of that holiday shopping takes some time, about 6 to 10 hours on average (29%).

Survey results also indicated that many people plan to stay local for the holidays. About three fourths of respondents (72%) do not plan to travel out of town this holiday season. Of those traveling, the average distance they will journey is 913 miles.

RMS is a full-service market research firm located in Syracuse, NY. If you are interested in learning more about our research capabilities, please contact Sandy Baker, our Senior Director of Business Development & Corporate Strategy at SandyB@RMSresults.com or by calling 1-866-567-5422. Visit our website at https://rmsresults.com. Happy Holidays!