Purpose of the Research
This study explored how gift-buying responsibilities and behaviours differ between men and women during the festive season.
Method
A UK survey examined shopping habits, responsibilities, and attitudes towards Christmas gifting, polling 2000 UK adults (nationally representative).
Key Findings
- Almost half of respondents (48%) recall both parents sharing responsibility for buying gifts during childhood, but mothers accounted for 44%. This early pattern of maternal involvement appears to carry through into adult behaviours.
- Women are more proactive when it comes to festive shopping. Over a third (37%) start before November, compared to just 21% of men. This suggests women take on more of the organisational burden, ensuring gifts are bought well in advance.
- Women are considered easier to buy for (28% vs 11% of men) and more appreciative of gifts (25%) than men (6%).
- Women invest significantly more time and energy in Christmas shopping! They spend an average of 11 hours shopping compared to 8 hours for men, buy for more people (8.6 vs 6.9), and purchase more gifts overall (14.6 vs 10.6). This highlights the scale of responsibility women assume during the festive period.
- Nearly three-quarters of women (72%) say they are primarily responsible for gift buying in their household, compared to just 32% of men. Even when couples buy joint presents, women are far more likely to organise them (63% vs 11%).
Wrapping duties follow the same pattern, with 74% of women taking charge compared to 29% of men.
- Cultural norms play a role too. Women were more likely to agree with the statement: “Gift-buying is optional for men but expected for women” (65% vs 35%). This suggests that societal expectations reinforce the gender imbalance in festive responsibilities.
- Interestingly, while women do more of the work, men tend to spend more on their partner – £103 compared to £89. This may reflect a focus on fewer, higher-value gifts from men.
Conclusion
The research reveals a clear gender divide in Christmas gifting. Women start earlier, buy more, and take on most of the organisational tasks, while men contribute less in terms of time but spend more on their partner. For retailers and marketers, these insights underline the importance of targeting women with early-season promotions and convenience-driven solutions, while recognising men’s tendency to spend more on significant gifts.