What type of gift-giving person are you? Are you one of those ones who keep a ‘present box’ on hand, who can neatly wrap items that aren’t rectangular, and who starts planning gifts months in advance?

Or perhaps you’re one of the many at the shops on Christmas Eve at 4pm, you struggle to know what you’re looking for exactly, and think gift vouchers are the best invention since sliced bread…

Regardless of your gift-buying habits, with less than 60 days until Christmas, the gifting season has begun! It’s time to start considering which types of businesses and what types of gifts you’re going to be buying this year, and the positive impact your buying behaviour can have on your community!

What Do Aussies Look for When Gift Shopping?

What is the most important thing to consider when choosing a gift? For nearly a third of Australians, the most influential factor in their decision is that the item is good value (30%). This becomes increasingly important with age, with older Australians be most likely to be hunting for the best bang for buck.

A gift being personalized is also a big consideration (18% of Aussies feel this is of most importance) and 16% are most concerned with the cost above all else.

For Australians under 30 on the other hand, a unique gift is of most importance. According to our poll, Aussies in this age group are also the most interested in sourcing gifts that have been handmade.

Are Aussies Organised or Aimless Gift Shoppers?

We found around 1 in 10 Aussies to be very confident when it comes to gift shopping, stating they usually know what they’re looking for and expect to find that exact item (9%). Around 2 in 10 are a little more adaptable but are still confident gift purchasers, saying that they know what they’re looking for but are flexible on the final gift (23%).

Then there’s the ones who like to shop without a plan – around 3 in 10 Aussies admit they usually have no idea what they want to find as a gift, and they use a variety of techniques to complete the task, such as google searching and browsing various platforms for what is available (28%).

Is the Secret to Successful Gift Shopping to Shop with Small Business?

A great place to look to find gifts that are unique or personalised is with small business gift retailers. It’s sometimes easy to forget how, as consumers, we can really benefit from the motivations behind small business…

Of those we polled, 90% of small gift business owners say they find operating their business enjoyable, with the core motivation for them to operate being so they can pursue their passion. Most also agree that part of the satisfaction comes from passing on the enjoyment to their customers (93%).

Certainly, this must have an affect on the type of unique and personalised products you might find, and for the Aussies who head to the shops without really knowing what they’re looking for; small businesses might provide the thoughtful guidance you’re in need of.

‘Tis the Season to Shop Online!

Aussies across all ages are buying gift items from a variety of smaller retailers. Businesses on Facebook Marketplace are being use by 33% of Australians, and Etsy is attracting around 31% of Aussie shoppers.

However, department stores are still the staple of the gift giving season and remain an integral part of our gift shopping ritual. Nearly 7 in 10 Aussies say they use department stores to find their gifts (67%) – but in 2021 nearly as many are using onlinedepartment stores (62%).

Aussies are seeking inspiration for their gift giving from a diverse range of platforms, and those under 30 are becoming increasingly reliant on social media to source gifting ideas. Nearly half of this age group browse for gifts on Instagram (45%), a third on Pinterest (31%) and 1 in 10 on TikTok (12%).

After 18 months of pandemic life, our shopping habits have been conditioned to use alternatives to physically being in stores. Our poll discovered that given the choice, only 35% of Australians would most prefer to purchase gifts in a physical store. Nearly half (47%) prefer their purchased items to be delivered to them via post or courier service. This year, the roads might be bustling with parcel couriers and the shops might for once have far shorter queues.

Aussies love a bargain, and unsurprisingly, 96% of Australians say they would be encouraged by the instance of specials and discounts when it comes to finalising their gift purchase. Besides price and value based offers, reviews and ratings have become the most influencing factor in purchasing decision when it comes to buying gifts.

Now is the Time to Support Small Business…

Three quarters of Aussies (75%) think that it’s important to purchase gifts that are made in Australia, and even if it’s not made here, most Aussies value the fact that the item is being shipped from an Australian location (91%).

However, despite the fact that 63% of Aussies say they do buy products or gifts from Australian Mum & Dad operations and small run gifting businesses, only 39% actively preference these businesses over department or large-scale companies.

After everything the nation has been through in 2021, this gift giving season is a great way to support ourselves by supporting the economy, and this means buying Australian, buying from small businesses and buying local…

Ekas spoke to 661 members on it’s panel Select Opinion Leaders in October 2021

Check out a few of our panelist and friends’ small businesses that we just love!

https://www.instagram.com/glossybellus/

www.lillibeandesigns.com

Trixandco.com.au

www.etsy.com/shop/tmakeroo/

www.cellarcru.com

Ekas Research
Ekas Research jaxon@ekas.com.au

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