StWe are now accustomed to looking at photographs and videos directly from our smartphones or even from the PC and we have almost completely forgotten the sensation of leafing through a photo album or even just having one in your hands.
In reality, there are possibilities for not losing this habit and they come, needless to say, from technology that makes available a series of hi-tech gadgets designed for those who – in addition or as an alternative – to digital memories, also appreciate those in paper format.
Not just albums: thanks to new printing, engraving and processing technologies, photographs can be transformed into calendars to hang on the wall, in digital frames that let the most beautiful photos slide, in polaroids with a vintage charm or even become funny magnets to attach to the refrigerator. In short, the possibilities are many and they certainly contribute to offering an original and personalized idea for Christmas Gifts.
Christmas gifts: how will we choose them?
A new investigation by Oracle Retail, which involved 8,107 people in 11 different countries, including 500 in Italy, notes that prices will play a primary role for the upcoming holidays: consumers in Italy are increasingly concerned about high costs and limited budgets. Because of this, 80% of them have already made purchases or plan to do so in advance so you can be sure to find the items you want and have more time for shopping.
51% think the current economic situation leads them to spend less in general e 71% want to consider a financing plan or payment offered by points of sale to cover the cost of gifts. Ultimately, consumers are ready to shop if the price is affordable, with 34% of people believe that cost will be the main factor which will push them to choose what to buy.
If the price is right…
69% of the people questioned intend to wait for special sales opportunities and 63% will try not to make impulse buys. Meanwhile, Amazon Prime Days conquer the title of “most anticipated promotional days” for 52% of the sample.
Following – a short distance away – the Black Friday (49%)sales on holidays (23%) and Cyber Monday (19%).
This year, then, people prefer to focus on “experiences” and travel and the main gifts in order of preference are:
• Leisure activities with friends 35%
• Gifts related to travel 33%
• Electronics 32%
• Gift cards and beauty/personal care products 31%
• Clothing and fashion 30%
• Shoes or sports equipment 29% (for both categories)
• Toys or household products 27% (for both categories)
• Luxury items and pet items 26% (for both categories)
• NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) i.e. digital collectibles or alcohol-related gifts 22% (for both categories).
Christmas gifts: deliveries priority factor
Without the distancing restrictions, many people are returning to brick-and-mortar holiday shopping. Nevertheless, even online purchases do not let go. And in this second case home delivery (50%) remains by far the preferred method of receiving items purchased online. This is followed by collection at the lockers (20%) or in the shop (22%).
39% of the sample states that fast delivery often dictates the choice of supplier/store. 8% expect same day delivery or 1-2 day wait (38%).
24% fear gifts won’t arrive on time and 39% are willing to pay more for fast/guaranteed delivery in time for Christmas.
Do influencers influence us in choosing Christmas gifts?
In 2022, social media (27%) was the channel through which consumers discovered the most interesting products, followed by emails at 18%, web ads at 14% and in-store promotions at 12%.
The preferred social media platforms for Italian consumers are: Instagram 37%, Facebook 24%, YouTube 14% and TikTok 14%.
Less than 1% of consumers use at the moment the Metaverse to discover new products. But despite the increase in marketing efforts with so-called influencers, only 14% of consumers said they buy a product suggested by their favorite influencers.
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