US Gifting Market Report 2024

Explore consumer gifting behavior with this in-depth report. Covering the US gifting market and trends impacting growth, you’ll gain pivotal insights into how to adapt your retail strategy to real preferences.

Below, we’ve summarized the core areas analyzed and provided hand-selected findings from the full document.

Core Areas Analyzed

Macroeconomic factors impacting gifting.
Occasions when gifting is a common practice.
Types of items bought as gifts.
Resources used to find gifts.
Usage and attitudes toward gift registries.
Attitudes toward the exchange of gifts.

US Gifting Market Overview

Consumers are currently still cautious with their discretionary spending. Scaling back on self-gifting and being selective about gifting occasions are only two indicators of a shift in the US gifting industry. However, this slow-down may not last, as Mintel predicts a more positive shift in consumer behavior. With economic conditions continuing to improve, a resurgence with changes in gifting behavior may take place.

Consumer Gifting Behavior

While consumers are shopping for gifts across occasions, participation is still yet to reach pre-pandemic levels. Among those buying gifts, consumers aged 25-44 are gifting the most, indicating various occasions to celebrate.

Gifts are usually safe options

Consumers have a plethora of choices when it comes to gifting. Even so, safer options are the go-to, with categories like gift cards leading. Brands can make the gift-choosing process easier by offering occasion-specific recommendations, as this report’s heat map of occasion gift types shows occasion heavily influences the gift bought.

Recipients want meaningful gifts

Above all, gift recipients want a meaningful gift, and close to this is something practical/useful. As consumers age, a practical or useful gift becomes more important, as 59% of those aged 55+ want this. Older consumers are also less fussy when it comes to receiving gifts. Combining these factors, brands can focus on marketing gifts to older consumers as an appreciated gesture and preferably, as something useful.

Buy the full report for a comprehensive review of gifting behaviors, occasions, recipient preferences, and more. You may also be interested in our other retail market research.

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Expert Analysis

Leading retail analyst Marisa Ortega delivers expert industry insights with this in-depth report.

As consumers rise from tough times, gifting is set to glow anew. Behaviors will evolve and tech adoption will increase, as will willingness to spend on gifts.

Marisa Ortega
Retail & eCommerce Analyst

Collapse All

- Key issues covered in this Report
Executive Summary
Consumer Insights
- Consumer fast facts
- Consumer fast facts (continued)
- Gifting occasions
- Graph 1: participation in gifting occasions in the past 12 months, 2019-24
- Graph 2: participation in gifting occasions in the past 12 months, by age, 2024
- Graph 3: repertoire of gifting occasions, by age, 2024
- Graph 4: participation in gifting occasions in the past 12 months, by race and Hispanic origin, 2024
- Retailers shopped
- Graph 5: retailers shopped, 2023-24 – NET – any shopping
- Graph 6: retailers shopped, by key demographics, 2024 – NET – any shopping
- Types of gifts
- Graph 7: types of gifts, 2024
- Graph 8: select types of gifts, by occasions, 2024
- Graph 9: types of gifts, by age, 2024
- Graph 10: types of gifts, by parental status, 2024
- Graph 11: types of gifts, by parental status, 2024
- Gift preferences
- Graph 12: gift preferences, 2024
- Graph 13: gift preferences, by age, 2024
- Graph 14: gift preferences, by race and Hispanic origin, 2024
- Resources used to find gifts
- Graph 15: resources used to find gifts, 2024
- Graph 16: resources used to find gifts, by gender, 2024
- Graph 17: resources used to find gifts, by age, 2024
- Gift registries
- Graph 18: experience with gift registries, by key demographics, 2024
- Graph 19: attitudes toward gift registries, by age, 2024
- Attitudes toward receiving and giving gifts
- Graph 20: attitudes toward receiving and giving gifts – the emotional aspect, by key demographics, 2024 – NET – agree
- Graph 21: attitudes toward receiving and giving gifts – economical behaviors, by age, 2024 – NET – agree
- Graph 22: attitudes toward giving and receiving gifts – economical behaviors, by race and Hispanic origin, 2024 – NET – agree
- Graph 23: attitudes toward receiving and giving gifts – preloved gifts, 2024 – NET – agree
- Graph 24: attitudes toward receiving and giving gifts – preloved gifts, by gender and age, 2024 – NET – agree
Competitive Strategies
- Opportunities
The Market
- Market drivers
- Graph 25: quarterly real GDP growth, 2020-23
- Graph 26: headline CPI, core CPI, and shelter CPI, 2021-24
- Graph 27: opinions on financial future, 2024
- Graph 28: median age at first marriage, by gender, 2011-21
- Graph 29: annual general fertility rate, 2010-21
- Market landscape
- Graph 30: total retail sales in November and December, in current dollars, 2012-23
- Graph 31: total expected spending on select occasions, in current dollars, 2012-23
Appendix

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