Parents Holiday Spending Plans For Happy Kids 2012

These are some of the results of The Harris Poll^® of 2,343 adults surveyed online between October 10 and 15, 2012 by Harris Interactive®.

Spending on toys compared to last year
In terms of how much people will spend, kids, and therefore toy retailers, may be happier than they were last year. While more than two in five toy purchasers (43%) say their spending will be no different than last year, almost one-quarter (23%) say they will spend more than they did last year, vs. the three in ten (31%) saying they will spend less than they did last year. In 2011, 35% said they would spend less than the previous year while just 16% said they would spend more than the previous year.

Among toy-shopping parents, 27% say they will spend more than they did last year, 37% say their spending will be no different and one-third (34%) say they will spend less than they did last year.

Toys to be purchased this year
When it comes to the toys children will be unwrapping this holiday season, it seems books, video games and arts and crafts projects will top the list. Over two in five toy purchasers (43%) say they will purchase children’s books, while over one-third will buy games for consoles (36%) and three in ten will buy arts and crafts products (29%). Just over one-quarter will purchase board games and dolls (27% each) as gifts, while one-quarter will purchase building blocks and bricks (25%), one in five will purchase sports equipment (22%) and handheld electronic games (21%),  and 14% will purchase game consoles. Three in ten will purchase something else in terms of toys for kids, (29%) and 17% are just not sure.

Where people are shopping for toys
In terms of where these toy purchases will be made, half of toy buyers will be mostly shopping for toys at large discount stores (51%), while over one-quarter (27%) will mostly shop online for toys this year. Over one in ten (13%) will mostly shop at a national toy retail chain store, while 4% will shop at a local, privately owned specialty toy store. Parents are more likely to buy toys at a national toy store retail chain (18% vs. 10% for non-parents), and non-parents are more likely to buy toys at large discount stores (53% vs. 47% for parents).

So what?
Many parents have probably already begun their hunt for the perfect toy that Santa Claus can leave under the tree. But so much goes into the purchasing decision process – not just what to give, but also how much to spend, whether to give more practical gifts and fewer fun ones as well as where to purchase them. Some of the large toy chains have been promoting their holiday sales and top toys for weeks already, and Black Friday (or rather, Thanksgiving night shopping) always has parents scrambling for the best gifts. Each year has the hot toy that parents search high and low for; will kids this holiday season get their perfect present?

TABLE 1
HOLIDAY TOY PURCHASING
"Thinking now of this holiday season, are you planning on purchasing toys as gifts this year?"

Base: All adults

Note: Percentages may not add up to exactly 100% due to rounding

TABLE 2
HOLIDAY TOY PURCHASING – TREND
"Thinking now of this holiday season, are you planning on purchasing toys as gifts this year?"

Base: All adults

Note: Percentages may not add up to exactly 100% due to rounding

TABLE 3
HOLIDAY TOY PURCHASING SPEND COMPARED TO LAST YEAR
"Compared to the amount you spent for toy purchases last year, will the toy purchases you make this year be…?"

Base: Will purchase toys

Note: Percentages may not add up to exactly 100% due to rounding

TABLE 4
HOLIDAY TOY PURCHASING SPEND COMPARED TO LAST YEAR – TREND
"Compared to the amount you spent for toy purchases last year, will the toy purchases you make this year be…?"

Base: Will purchase toys

Note: Percentages may not add up to exactly 100% due to rounding

TABLE 5
TYPES OF TOYS TO BE PURCHASED THIS YEAR
"What types of toys will you purchase this year?"

Base: Will purchase toys

Note: Multiple Responses Allowed

TABLE 6
WHERE TOYS WILL BE PURCHASED THIS YEAR
"Where will you shop the most for toys?"

Base: Will purchase toys

Note: Multiple Responses Allowed

Methodology
This Harris Poll was conducted online within the United States between October 10 to 15, 2012 among 2,343 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words "margin of error" as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris Interactive panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

The results of this Harris Poll may not be used in advertising, marketing or promotion without the prior written permission of Harris Interactive.

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Q755, 760, 765, 770

The Harris Poll^® #63, November 15, 2012
By Regina A. Corso, SVP, Harris Poll and Public Relations, Harris Interactive