South Africans are getting savvier about how they do their shopping and 9.5% will be doing all their festive season shopping online, compared to the 2012 festive Survey of 8%.
They are also generous shoppers, with the vast majority (43.2%) buying between five and eight gifts, and two out of 10 buying more than nine gifts. People are spending generously too: more than a quarter of those surveyed, spend in excess of R1000 on gifts.
"With the challenging economic conditions, we expect South Africans will manage their festive budget carefully by purchasing a number of smaller, more meaningful gifts for extended family and friends, and then splashing out a bit on one more expensive item for their spouse or significant other," says Jolandé Duvenage, CEO of eBucks Rewards.
Naturally children are spoiled, with more than four in 10 people spending over R500 on the little ones and three in 10 spending between R500 and R1000. While moms and dads are quite giving, South African men treat their romantic partners well, with six out of 10 spending in excess of R750.
They are also organised, only 5.5% said they will be doing their shopping on Christmas Eve and 0.2% on Christmas Day itself, but for the most part, shopping is already well underway and in many cases already complete.
A gadget of one form or another (43.4%) tops the list and a distant second is cash or a voucher at 14.6%. In the open 'other' category, festive wishes included spending quality family time, just being happy and not having to work on Christmas day. Finally, an interesting trend is starting to emerge: a crafty 1.2% of the survey participants have made all their own festive season gifts.
Of the 2588 South Africans that participated in the survey, 52.8% were men and 47.2% were women.
Other
iTunes gift voucher, pots, Christmas family lunch, house make-over, DSTV, GHD, purse, motherboard for PC, bike, bicycles and accessories, golf sets, play station, scooter, spa vouchers, telescope, coffee pods, a way out of financial debt, a ring from fiancée of 9 years, cars (ranging from Bugati to Golfs), smartphone accessories, external hard drive, Peruvian hair, TV's (ranging from 3D to LED), family holidays (local and international), a baby, house, sports watch and heart rate monitor, a boat, books, car audio upgrade, creative writing course, duvet set, Weber gas braai, TV series, uncapped ADSL, unit trusts, time with loved ones, trampoline, treadmill, tools, sunglasses, pasta machine, new tyres, bathroom set, luggage, lounge suit, gym membership, anything to make her smile/ feel happy, not having to work on Christmas Day.