However, Half Say that They Have Done Holiday Shopping at the Last Minute
Eight in ten parents (82%) like to be prepared for the holiday shopping season, according to a new telephone survey of over 950 U.S. parents who buy gifts for their children at Christmas time, conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs on behalf of Duracell. At the same time, a majority (51%) admits that they have done last minute holiday shopping in the past.
Moms in particular like to plan ahead for holiday shopping (88% vs. 76% of dads), which is perhaps why they are less likely than dads to have done Christmas shopping at the last minute (46% vs. 56%). Still, moms are more likely to feel stressed during the holidays than are dads (58% vs. 38%).
Many parents have procrastinated with their holiday to-do lists, as a third of parents overall (32%) say that they have had to run errands in the middle of the night to get ready for Christmas morning. However, waiting until the last minute can be risky, as nearly a quarter of parents (23%) report that they have not been able to buy the toy their child(ren) wanted for the holidays because they procrastinated in getting their holiday shopping done.
~ Parents with a household income of less than $25,000 are nearly three times more likely than are parents earning $75,000 or more to say that they haven’t been able to get the gifts that their kids wanted because they waiting too long (38% vs. 14%).
Nearly half of parents (48%) say that they feel stressed out during the holidays, and a similar proportion (46%) worry about forgetting something because there is so much to do. Three in ten (31%) report that they have forgotten to buy the necessary gift accessories for Christmas, such as wrapping paper, tape, and batteries for gifts.
Making Christmas Special
Nine in ten parents (89%) say that it is important to them to create a memorable Christmas for their children. And with so many memories being made, three quarters (75%) say that Christmas morning is one of the days when they most frequently take pictures and/ or videos of their kids.
However, finding the perfect gift for Christmas morning can be a challenge. Many parents (45%) wish it was easier to know which toys their child(ren) would want this holiday season, particularly parents under 35 (50%). In fact, half of parents (53%) wish that they could get a child's perspective on a particular gift they considering giving.
Giving Back during the Holidays
Despite the stress that comes with the holidays, parents see it as a great time to give back. Nine in ten (91%) agree that giving back to the less fortunate is especially important during the holiday season. However, not everyone sees this as an easy task; nearly three quarters (72%) wish there was a simple way for them to help those less fortunate during the holidays.
~ Parents with a household income of less than $25,000 more likely than are parents earning $75,000 or more wish there was an easy way to give back around Christmas time (88% vs. 65%).
These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted August 4 – September 13, 2011. For the survey, a nationally representative sample of 953 randomly-selected U.S. parents aged 18 who have a child under the age of 18to whom they give gifts during Christmas time was interviewed by telephone via Ipsos’ U.S. Telephone Express omnibus. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate within ±3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire population of parents in the U.S. been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/gender composition reflects that of the actual U.S. population according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
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About Ipsos
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New York, NY – 22 November 2011
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