America Goes Shopping in an Electronics Wonderland

Welcome to the holiday gift giving season, 2013 style. And certainly, we can expect that the most wonderful time of the year will include a blizzard of electronic devices. Overall, the results of our eNation survey conducted in November 2013 show that almost two thirds (64%) of Americans plan to spend at least part of their 2013 holiday gift budget on electronic devices. This number jumps significantly among households with children (84%) and those 18-34 years old (74%). With all the technology surrounding us in today's world, it is notable that 36% say they do not plan to spend anything on electronic devices this gift giving season. Not surprisingly, those 55 and older, are least (49%) likely to spend on electronic devices for gifts. Americans still aren't all electric all the time, with very few respondents saying they will spend over 75% of their holiday gift budget on devices.

Of course, people are looking to give something that is unique or memorable. Many (45%) of those who say they will be buying an electronic device as a gift this season are looking to give someone a device they have never owned before. However, about one third of respondents indicated they did not know exactly why the recipient was asking for an electronic device gift. And another 28% say there are buying to replace a device with the most recent version and about one or two in ten are buying to replace a broken or lost device.

There are those that say that the holidays are only for children, but when it comes to giving electronic devices, those humbugs appear to be wrong. Among those planning to give an electronic device this holiday, the gift could very likely be for someone in the 19-49 age group - 30% report they will be for those in the 19-29 age bracket, and 31% say they will be for those ages 30-49. Of course for households with children, those under 18 years old definitely will not be forgotten or left out.

Tablets (29%) appear to be the most popular electronic device for this holiday gift giving season, especially if there are children in the household (38%). Gaming stations/consoles (24%) came in second and are also very popular in households with children (37%). Headphones/earbuds (19%) came in third followed closely by a laptop, television, smart/mobile phone or iPod.

And when can you expect this madness to begin? Try last Friday! Americans who plan to purchase electronic devices as gifts, say they intended to shop either from November 30th through December 20th (45%), which includes Cyber Monday, or they were going to hit the stores during the Thanksgiving/Black Friday hustle bustle (33%). Young people aged 18-34 were most likely to face the hectic Thanksgiving and Black Friday crowds (46%) than other age groups.

So put away those holiday leftovers and get out your shopping lists, because waiting to the last minute isn't a good idea if you are looking to buy electronic devices for the 2013 holidays.

Methodology

Each week Ipsos U.S. eNation online omnibus completes five national online surveys. Each survey (wave of eNation) consists of a minimum of 1,000 completes with adults 18 years of age or older in the contiguous U.S.A. The sample consists of individuals selected from the online segment of Ipsos' iSay/Ampario Panel, and is balanced to be representative of the general population based upon region, gender, age, and household income data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The selected individuals receive a customized e-mail inviting them to participate. Ipsos U.S. eNation online omnibus survey results are tabulated by two standard demographic banners.

A. Gender, age, household income, region B. Child in household, education, employment status, marital status, race

eNation's standard data tabulations are provided in a weighted format. The data are weighted to give appropriate representation on various demographic factors, including: age, income, the four national census regions, and gender. The Current Population Survey from the U.S. Census Bureau is used to determine the weighting targets for each demographic factor.