ALISO VIEJO, Calif.,
Nov. 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/
-- Rakuten, one of the world's largest online retail
marketplaces, today reveals the results of its Rakuten Shopping
Secrets survey. The study, conducted with consumers over seven
markets, shows that Americans will spend almost 14 hours shopping
for friends and loved ones this year. This breaks down to 3.94
trips per person, spending an average of 3.5 hours per trip.
Children, partners and moms were found to take the most dedication
when shopping at 90 minutes, 77 minutes and 70 minutes
respectively.
The survey revealed the most difficult person to buy gifts for
is a spouse or partner (20%), followed by mom (12%), dad (10%) and
finally children (9%). However, some Americans find the shopping
ordeal pretty easy with 20% saying they find "no one" difficult to
buy for - lucky them! These may have been the same respondents that
admitted they spend around half an hour treating themselves to a
little retail therapy.
Unwanted Gifts
When receiving unwanted gifts, respondents admitted to putting
their gift somewhere and forgetting about it (44%). Depending on
the item, some have re-gifted a present to someone else (35%),
others (27%) will donate it to charity and the most enterprising
among us will sell it off (14%).
The Perfect Gift for a Partner or Spouse?
When it comes to spouses or partners who are viewed as the most
difficult person to buy for, the answer may be quite simple - 43%
would prefer a kiss or hugs! However, no one really wants to show
up empty-handed; the survey revealed that 29% of respondents want
fashion accessories, 27% would like jewelry, 26% food and a holiday
tipple and 13% would love a blank check to pay the bills!
Keeping Stress Levels in Check!
Almost half of Americans (45%) surveyed find the holiday season
stressful. And when compared to their counterparts in Europe and Asia they were found to be third most stressed
after Spain (57%) and the UK
(51%). Main stress factors include, having to spend a lot of money
(51%), not knowing what to buy as a gift (46%) and being afraid of
the recipient not liking the gift (31%). From the results earlier,
this may not be completely unfounded!
"The holiday season is a time to spend with family and loved
ones. Yet, we all spend too much time worrying whether we have
bought the perfect gifts. A couple of tips to help reduce stress
levels during the holiday season - start shopping early to avoid
the rush and take the pain out of mall shopping by seeing which
items you can find online," said George
Chang, Senior Vice President, Rakuten.com. "To help you get
started on those shopping lists, we've pulled together some great
deals which you'll find in our Holiday Store."
Real-Life Shopping Versus the Web?
More than half of Americans surveyed dread going out to the
shopping mall (55%) - more than their European and Asian
counterparts. A high percentage doesn't like the crowds (87%), with
two thirds of American shoppers surveyed (61%) preferring to shop
online for the holidays. This trend mirrors Rakuten's E-Commerce
Index earlier this year, which showed that tablet usage for
shopping has grown by 41.9% in the last year, surpassing
smartphones as the most used mobile device for shopping.
About the Survey
The findings are part of the Rakuten Shopping Secrets survey,
commissioned by Rakuten, one of the world's largest online retail
marketplaces. The survey aims to uncover fun facts about shopping -
the world's favorite pastime - among consumers in Asia, Europe
and America. In the U.S. 1,000 men and women were interviewed
through an online survey carried out in October 2014 by Added Value Saffron Hill.
About Rakuten
Rakuten, Inc. (4755: Tokyo), is
one of the world's leading Internet service companies. We provide a
variety of products and services for consumers and businesses, with
a focus on e-commerce, finance, and digital content. In both 2012
and 2013, Rakuten was ranked among the world's 'Top 10 Most
Innovative Companies' in Forbes magazine's annual list. Rakuten is
expanding worldwide and currently operates throughout Asia, Europe,
the Americas and Oceania. Founded in 1997, Rakuten is headquartered
in Tokyo, with over 11,000
employees and partner staff worldwide. For more information:
http://global.rakuten.com/corp/
About Rakuten.com
Rakuten.com is a global e-commerce site that connects buyers and
sellers in a dynamic marketplace and thinks of shopping as
entertainment - complete with sharing and discovery functions,
great prices, fun experiences and convenience. Rakuten.com provides
over 20 million products in 24 categories and includes a network of
over 5,500 small and large business shop owners. Rakuten.com was
founded as Buy.com in 1997 and acquired by Rakuten Inc. in
May 2010. Its 150 employees are
headquartered in Aliso Viejo,
California.
Photo -
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141119/159521-INFO
SOURCE Rakuten, Inc.