Special Occasion, Special Gift

We all love to celebrate special occasions, whether it’s birthdays and anniversaries or passing that driving test (fifth time lucky). But given the cost of living crunch, it’s understandable that many of us are feeling a little pickier about which celebrations we believe warrant a gift.

So, is gift giving in peril, or do we still love to mark special occasions with special presents? And what even is a special present these days?

We polled more than 2,000 people in the UK (aged 16 and above) to see how the nation feels about giving and receiving gifts on landmark occasions. Newsflash! We discovered:

Memories matter: nearly half (46%) of respondents said they associate a special event in their life with a specific gift they received.

The cost of living crunch: 57% of people said financial pressures have forced them to think more carefully about their gift buying decisions.

Gifting mapped: Belfast was the UK city where locals were most likely to say they’d think twice about gifting due to the cost of living crisis.

Young people are less bothered about wedding gifts: only 27% of 25–34-year-olds said ‘weddings’ are the most important event for giving or receiving gifts, compared to 38% of people aged over 55.

Gender perspectives: 27% of males said they were most likely to give gift cards or cash, compared to 18% of females.

Rising to the occasion

It’s always nice to raise a glass in celebration, but certain events – *cough*, weddings – almost demand that we go ‘all out’ and become present buying fiends. Other occasions are a bit more, well, meh.

So first, we wanted to work out which special events still have the biggest pull factor for present buying and receiving. When asked to select the most important events for gift giving, respondents selected birthdays, Christmas, and weddings (shocker).

While birthdays are still a biggie, not everyone is bothered about pulling the party poppers. 74% of females considered birthdays to be the most significant event for giving or receiving gifts, whereas just 59% of males said the same.

Similarly, not every gift giver (or receiver) gets giddy at the sound of wedding bells. Only 27% of 25–34-year-olds listed ‘weddings’ as the biggest occasion, compared to 38% of people aged over 55.

Memories that never fade

Unwrapping gifts is one of life’s great pleasures, but is a brilliant present less about the ‘loot’ and more about the memories? A healthy chunk of those we polled believe so.

Almost half (46%) of respondents said they associate a special event in their life with a specific item they received. This rose to 50% among females compared to 40% of males.

Regionally, respondents in Northern Ireland (62%), Greater London (56%) and Scotland (50%) had the largest association between special events and specific presents. And among younger age groups, it was a similar story.

The cost of giving

It’s no secret that millions of households face a cost of living squeeze, so it’s never been more important that our present buying habits are kind – not just to our loved ones, but our wallets too.

Due to these belt-tightening times, 41% of people said they prefer shopping online to find better deals and discounts.

Meanwhile, a majority (57%) of people told us that the cost of living crisis has forced them to think more carefully about their gift purchasing decisions. Just 6% said they’d given the financial landscape no consideration at all.

Looking at the UK as a whole, there was no one-size-fits-all attitude towards gifting in these budget-conscious times.

Moments that money can’t buy

While brilliant gifts often come with a price tag to match, for many people we polled, it’s not just the money but the thought that counts.

Just 19% of respondents told us that all special occasions require a gift, whereas 27% said other forms of effort matter more.

Of all the cities we quizzed, people in London were the most likely (25%) to say that ‘all special occasions require a gift’, but even in the capital, 32% said they were more likely to appreciate ‘other forms of effort’.

As our survey shows, a great gift is about more than the product or packaging – it’s those warm, fuzzy feelings that capture the memory of a big day – and the most common emotions when receiving a gift were happiness, appreciation, and love.

What’s the perfect gift?

Few of us would say no to a gold-plated sports car or a castle made of marshmallows, but as our survey suggests, it’s not necessarily those hey-big-spender gifts that set the pulse racing.

And when it comes to gifting, our survey found that young people in particular like to give personalised mementos that have a little more meaning.

For female respondents, cash isn't always king. 27% of males said they were most likely to give gift cards or cash, compared to 18% of females. In comparison, almost a quarter of females (25%) said they tend to give personalised gifts, while 21% of males said the same.

We also uncovered changing attitudes towards gifting across the generations. 42% of people we polled said they believe older people value traditional or ‘material’ gifts more, while 30% agreed that younger generations prioritise experiences over material gifts.

The gifting goes on

Yes, our gifting habits may have changed due to cost of living pressures, and sure, there are differences in attitudes between the generations. But old habits die hard, and for millions of people in the UK, the opportunity to give and receive presents is what make special occasions extra...special.

Let’s face it – we humans have been showering our loved ones with presents since the beginning of time. Gifting is an act of kindness you can’t put a price on. In fact, almost a quarter (23%) of those we polled said they gift to family members and friends ‘frequently’, and 53% said they do so ‘occasionally’.

Give up gifting? The future is never certain, but it’s fair to say we’ll be sharing gifts galore for birthdays, weddings and those ‘just because’ moments for generations to come.