New babies, birthdays and Christmas most popular gift occasions for gift baskets

Aug. 17, 2010 - PRLog -- A gift baskets survey by an online gift retailer has discovered that men and women have quite different tastes, budgets, recipients and motivations for buying gift baskets for gift occasions which could help retailers with their marketing decisions.

According to director of It's In The Stars www.itsinthestarsonline.com, Elizabeth Ball, while both sexes buy the majority of gift baskets for friends and family, men are far more likely than women to purchase gift baskets for colleagues, clients and employees.

"The survey found that 76.9% of men spent over $100 on gift baskets while 69.2% of women spent under $100, "Elizabeth Ball said.

Not only did men spend more, but they tended to purchase more gift baskets than women for a greater range of gift occasions.

"Of the gift occasions that men were most likely to purchase gift baskets, the top five events were Christmas (73.0%), birthdays (67.6%), Mother’s Day (59.5%), and Father's Day and Valentine's Day (56.8% each)," she said.

"Women were most likely to give gift baskets for new babies (74.1%), and then on birthdays (65.7%), Christmas (55.6%), and Mother's Day and housewarmings/new homes (36.1% each)."

Thetop five most popular gift basket items selected by men to give were gift certificates (71.8%), jams & spreads (64.1%), champagne and chocolates (61.5% each), and BBQ food & accessories (59.0%).

Elizabeth Ball believes that men are inclined to pass the gift selection process over to their recipient with gift certificates and this is reflected in the higher prices men are prepared to spend.

"I think women, who spend less, want the recipient to receive something lovely and/or pampering they could enjoy straightaway within the gift basket."

Women chose gift baskets that contained chocolates (69.4%), champagne (60.4%), baby toys & clothing (57.7%), bath/beauty/body products (55.9%) and flowers (50.5%).

"Men are three times as likely as women to buy gift baskets for clients (64.1% vs 21.6%) and
almost twice as likely to buy them for colleagues (64.1% vs 36.0%), and for employees
(35.9% vs 18.0%)," Elizabeth Ball said.

"Women are more likely than men to buy gift baskets for family members (74.8% vs 69.2%) while slightly more men purchase them for friends (82.1% vs 78.4%)," she said.

"This makes sense when you consider that gift baskets are a very easy gift option."

The survey found that while both sexes believe gift baskets are an easy, no-fuss gift option, men are more likely to view gift baskets as a last-minute gift emergency option while women buy gift baskets. because they usually look impressive.

For full details of the gift baskets survey, visit http://www.itsinthestarsonline.com/verve/_resources/New-b...

# # #

Elizabeth Ball at www.itsinthestarsonline.com has been producing beautifully presented personalized hardcover astrology reports for couples and parents for anniversaries, birthdays, Christmas, christenings, engagements, new babies, weddings, and Valentines Day since 2005. She also writes a regular gift news blog at http://gifts-by-the-stars-online.com.