Half of women surveyed by an executive newsletter that tracks women consumers' attitudes say they consider holiday shopping "a pleasure."
And 68 percent say just being in stores puts them in a holiday mood. But 22 percent of 500 women nationwide surveyed by New York-based EDK Forecast say holiday shopping is "a chore." A Scroogish 8 percent described the activity as a "nightmare."Regardless their perceptions of the holiday retail scene, the EDK Forecast found that women place a high priority on finding the perfect gift, said publisher Ethel Klein, president of EDK Associates.
"Women invest themselves in finding gifts that show how much they care - and most care a great deal. Women are even willing to stretch their budget if they find an absolute perfect present. Most say they will spend as much as $25 over what they had planned if they find a truly wonderful gift for a friend or a loved one," Klein said.
More than half of the women who responded to the national telephone survey said it's always important to find just the right gift for their loved ones. Forty-three percent think everyone on their holiday gift list deserves the perfect gift. Only 13 percent of respondents said finding the right holiday gift is not important to them.
While women want to buy the perfect gift, only 10 percent said they make a gift list before their shopping outings. Nearly two-thirds of the women who responded to the survey said they have a general idea what they want to buy, but 23 percent find their perfect gift through serendipity, with most women shopping in many different stores. Only 3 percent shop in one store and just 10 percent confine themselves to one mall.
Half of the women surveyed said they finished their holiday shopping early last year and a third reported shopping for gifts at the last minute. In fact, 9 percent of the women surveyed said they bought most of their gifts at the last minute, and 6 percent of respondents said they bought all of their presents at the last minute.
"While women are dashing from store to store in search of gifts, they're also looking for inspiration," Klein said. "Retailers who catch a woman's attention with dazzling in-store displays that highlight the thoughtfulness of certain gifts will win women's business and gratitude."
EDK's survey was conducted Sept. 27-29 and carries a 4 percent margin of error. The EDK Forecast, which studies what motivates women consumers to buy, is published 10 times annually.