FINDLAY, Ohio – Nearly three-quarters of all shoppers gave at least one gift card this holiday season, according to the results of an opinion survey released today by Corporate Research International (CRI), a leader in tracking national trends, issues, and quality service. CRI received 4,146 completed surveys from its nationwide pool of auditors. The survey, conducted from Dec. 28, 2006 to Jan. 3, 2007 asked people how many gift cards they gave as holiday gifts, how many they received, the markets in which the gift cards were meant to be spent, as well as how and when shoppers plan to redeem the cards. More than 70 percent of respondents said they gave at least one redeemable gift card this holiday season, while on average, each person gave 4.5 gift cards. Of the nearly 3,000 people who said they gave gift cards, 37 percent said that they gave more this season than they did last year. More than 67 percent of those surveyed received at least one gift card, even though the majority of respondents (56 percent) said they didn’t specifically request a gift card as a present. Nearly a quarter of respondents (22 percent) said they received three or more gift cards this year. “Gift cards are becoming the top choice for consumers because they take all the hassle out of holiday shopping,” said Mike Mallett, CEO of Corporate Research International. “Year after year, businesses see consumers scoop up more gift cards in nearly every industry - its a growing trend that businesses need to continue to capitalize on,” Mallett said. |
