Holiday Prep Survey 2023 — Results
Here are the results from our Holiday Prep Survey 2023. Thank you to all who participated!
Are you looking forward to the holiday season this year?
Do you feel financially prepared for this upcoming holiday season?
Do you create a budget for the holiday season?
Do you plan on spending more or less money for the holidays this year than last year?
- The same as last year (53%)
- Less (32%)
- More (15%)
Will you be purchasing gifts this holiday season?
(if “yes”) How many total people will you be purchasing gifts for?
- 5 to 9 people (40%)
- 1 to 4 people (28%)
- 10 to 14 people (21%)
- 15 or more people (11%)
(if “yes”) How much do you plan to spend on gifts per person (on average)?
- $25 to $50 (38%)
- $51 to $100 (28%)
- Less than $25 (14%)
- $101 to $200 (12%)
- More than $200 (8%)
(if “yes”) Do the people you’re buying gifts for know what they are getting in advance?
Do you think gift cards are an acceptable gift?
Do you prefer gift bags or gift wrap?
- Gift bags (54%)
- Gift wrap (46%)
Do you plan to travel for the holidays?
(if “yes”) How far do you plan to travel for the holidays?
- Another state (54%)
- Another country (25%)
- Another city (21%)
(if “yes”) How do you plan to travel?
- By plane (53%)
- By car (43%)
- By bus or train or a cruise (4%)
(if “yes”) How much do you plan to spend on your holiday travel per person?
- Less than $250 (28%)
- $250 to $500 (25%)
- More than $1,000 (21%)
- $501 to $750 (14%)
- $751 to $1,000 (12%)
(if “yes”) Would you travel on a holiday to save money?
In your opinion, what do you find the most stressful out of the following? (select up to 2 responses)
- Shopping for gifts (53%)
- Holiday meals [cooking/baking] (27%)
- Traveling (26%)
- Spending time with family [immediate or extended] (21%)
- Decorating (20%)
- Other [please specify] (9%)
(if “shopping for gifts”) Why does shopping for gifts cause you stress? (select all that apply)
- Finding the perfect gifts people will actually like (73%)
- Looking for the best deals/sales (55%)
- Spending too much money or going into debt (39%)
- Saving enough money for gifts (36%)
- Crowded stores/long lines (35%)
- Whether the gift[s] will arrive on time (24%)
- Looking for out of stock items (12%)
- Other [please specify] (1%)
How do you prepare for holiday shopping? (select all that apply)
- Researching the best sales/prices (68%)
- Creating a list of everything you need to buy (45%)
- Shopping throughout the year (45%)
- Budgeting/saving enough money to cover holiday spending (34%)
- Pre-ordering any new items that may sell out (18%)
- Other [please specify] (3%)
Are you planning to shop for gifts early or are you holding off until Black Friday/holiday sales?
- Waiting for Black Friday/holiday sales (51%)
- Shopping early (49%)
Have you already started shopping for this upcoming holiday season?
- Will start in November (32%)
- Yes, I already started but have not finished (26%)
- Will start in October (19%)
- Will start in September (11%)
- Will start in December (7%)
- Yes, I already started and completed my holiday shopping (5%)
What’s the latest you’ve waited to buy a holiday gift?
- A few days before gifting. (31%)
- A few weeks before gifting. (24%)
- The day before gifting. (20%)
- The day-of gifting. (14%)
- More than a month before gifting. (11%)
Do you shop during any of the following popular times? (select all that apply)
- Black Friday (76%)
- Cyber Monday (74%)
- Saturday after Thanksgiving (48%)
- First week of December (44%)
- Cyber Tuesday (40%)
How will you be doing the majority of your holiday shopping?
- Online (85%)
- In-person (15%)
What do you overspend the most on during the holidays?
- Gifts (59%)
- Food/Beverages (19%)
- Travel (12%)
- Experiences [i.e. ice skating, skiing, holiday light shows, etc.] (7%)
- Holiday decorations (3%)
Do you tip more for services during the holidays?
Do you ever change your mind about buying a gift because the shipping is too expensive?
(if "yes") What’s the most you would spend on shipping for a gift?
- $0.01-$5 (33%)
- $5.01-$8 (29%)
- More than $10 (20%)
- $8.01-$10 (18%)
Do you ever change your mind about buying a gift because the shipping takes too long?
(if "yes") How long are you willing to wait for shipping?
- 5-7 days (55%)
- 3-4 days (23%)
- 1-3 weeks (17%)
- 1-2 days (4%)
- More than 3 weeks (1%)
When do you think is an acceptable time for places (i.e. stores, radio stations, hotel lobbies, etc.) to start playing holiday music?
- After Thanksgiving (59%)
- Only during the month of December (20%)
- After Halloween/November 1 (16%)
- Anytime throughout the year (5%)
The survey polled a cross-section of 1,756 adults, aged 18 and over.
