Gift vouchers are at the top of Christmas shopping lists this year, according to a survey of radio listeners by Commercial Radio Australia and Presslaff Interactive Revenue.
 
Seventy percent of survey participants said they like to give gift vouchers for Christmas, with toys (57%), clothes (56%) and bath and beauty products (52%) following closely behind.
 
One quarter of respondents said they expect to spend between $500 and $1,000 in total on gifts over the Christmas shopping season, with most leaving the shopping to the last week.
 
The study is the latest in the series of Finding Consumer Trend (FCT) reports, which offer insights into the lifestyle interests and buying intentions of regional radio listeners.
 
The latest survey, on the topic of gift giving throughout the year, involved more than 1200 listeners from across 60 stations throughout Australia.
 
When it comes to receiving gifts, women said they would most like to be given gift vouchers (70%), followed by jewellery (65%), cash (52%) and flowers (52%).
 
Gift vouchers were also the most popular present among men (57%), followed by cash (49%), electronics (49%) and clothes (42%). 
 
“The survey shows radio listeners shop year round for gifts, and are an important target market for retailers who want to capture a share of the gift buying market,” said Joan Warner, chief executive officer of Commercial Radio Australia.
 
The FCT reports are produced four times a year to assist stations and networks better understand their listeners’ attitudes towards a selected category.  Previous reports have covered automotive, grocery-buying habits, insurance trends and health and fitness.   
 
The 2016 Gift Giving Executive Summary is available on the Radio It’s a Love Thing website.