DECEMBER 2, 2008

Unused Gifts?

Because Christmas tends to sneak up on me, I always try to start thinking about what I am going to be giving to friends and family as early as possible. I usually start looking for holiday gifts right after Halloween because I don’t want to join the herd of people at the malls frantically searching on Christmas Eve. I really like the idea of giving gift cards because I can personalize each gift by matching the store with the gift recipient. At the same time, gift cards cut the guess work — no need to try and predict the proper size, color, or style preference.

However, a recent USA Today Snapshot made me think twice about my gift card theory. According to a holiday survey, on average, consumers have 5.9 unused gift cards (versus 3.7 in 2007). People age 18-29 and 75 and older tend to have the most unused gift cards (8.6 and 7.4, respectively). Does this mean that people are tired of receiving gift cards and not even bothering to use them? Probably not. I think it’s a case of more people deciding to give gift cards, which means the average person just has many more than they did last year.

Regardless, I’m not going to change my gift card giving ways. Even though some would argue that gift cards require no thought and are impersonal, I disagree and still think they are the absolute best option! What about you - will you be giving gift cards this holiday season?