Mindshare Study Highlights Moms’ Reliance on Research When Holiday Shopping

mindshare logoA substantial number of moms say research plays a significant role in their holiday shopping habits, considerably more than it does for women without children, according to the latest Mindshare Online Research study (MORe).

The study also revealed that approximately 64 percent of shoppers said they expect to spend less on gifts this year than in previous years and more than three-fourths of respondents said they will shop around to make sure they are buying gifts at the best prices. And even though bargain-hunting makes sense in these difficult times, fewer than 30 percent of shoppers put money aside throughout the year to pay for holiday gifts.

“As everyone is reporting, shoppers are looking for the best deals in today’s rough economy,” said Debbie Solomon, Managing Director, Business Planning, Mindshare. “People are still going to give presents, but this year they’re looking for ways to give that special gift without going into financial overload.”

The online survey of 350 adults, half men and half women, was conducted in December by BuzzBack Market Research.

While the study confirmed that more than half of holiday shoppers conduct research before buying gifts, there is a marked difference between moms and women without kids: 61 percent of moms research holiday gifts while only 48 percent of non-moms say they do. Moms were more likely than non-moms to point out that online customer product reviews or ratings were their most influential sources for obtaining holiday gift information23 percent vs. 12 percent.

Gift givers reported that the internet is a vital tool. Approximately 54 percent of shoppers surveyed do the bulk of their holiday shopping online, while many consumers turn to the internet for generating gift ideas using tools like online wish lists and search engines.

“The internet has become an invaluable research and buying channel for shoppers, especially moms,” noted Solomon. “Despite all the demands on their time, moms find it important to do research before they buy to make sure they are getting the right thing.”

And just who is most likely to make sure there is something for everyone under the tree? According to the study, 77 percent of women stated that they do most of the holiday shopping in their households, while only 36 percent of men say the same thing. However, nearly half of men, 46 percent, said they shared responsibility equally for holiday shopping with someone else in their household.

About Mindshare
Mindshare is a global marketing and media services network with billings in excess of $23B (source: RECMA). The network consists of 97 offices in 67 countries throughout the U.S., Latin America, Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific; each dedicated to forging competitive marketing advantage for businesses and their brands. Mindshare is a member of WPP, the world’s leading communications service group with $63.5B in billings (source: RECMA), and is part of its GroupM media services operation. For more information, please visit: www.mindshareworld.com.

Primary Contact:
Jenny Hackett
Corporate Communications Manager
Mindshare
(312) 242-1190
[email protected]