Christmas, Toys and Useless Presents
Sunday 13 December 2009
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Christmas, Toys and Useless Presents!
In the lead up to Christmas Social Researcher Mark McCrindle reveals the latest research
on Generation Z and their toys, the top 5 toy spending trends of their Generation X parents,
and the causes and costs of useless presents!
Useless presents
Epidemic proportions:
83% of Australians have received a present that they
consider to be a total waste of money, with more than a third (39%) receiving useless
gifts most years.
$50 million in useless Christmas gifts:
23% of Australians receive at least one
useless gift every Christmas and valuing it at the lower end of the examples given
($10) means that Australians will spend at least $50 million this Christmas on useless
gifts. Only 17% of Australians have never received a useless Christmas gift.
Where do they end up?: These useless gifts are most likely to be given to someone
else (41%) and so perpetuating the useless gift cycle! 20% are given to charity, 13%
exchanged/returned to a store, 10% sold on eBay, 9% kept- and added to the rest of
our “stuff”, and 7% are simply thrown away!
Who are the main culprits in giving useless gifts? Immediate family are the worst
for useless gift giving (40% of all useless gifts) followed by friends (30%) and then
distant relatives (26%).
Aunties are the relatives with the worst reputation for wasted gift-giving, responsible
for giving 8% of all useless presents nationally!
What are the most common useless gifts?
The most frequently mentioned
“useless gift” category, accounting for more than 1 in 8 useless gifts is ornaments.
The most common examples of these are figurines, candles, water feature
ornaments, and pot pourri.
The second most common useless gift category is
cheap
bath and bathroom
accessories. Worst offenders here are soaps (including soap on a rope!), bath
crystals, and bath sets (usually lavender scented, with a loofah included!).
The third most mentioned useless gifts were
unwanted
kitchen accessories. The
main examples being
drink coasters, individual items rather than a set (one coffee
mug, two plates etc) and electronic devices (electric can openers, electric knives,
chocolate fountains etc).
Christmas, Toys and Useless Presents
Sunday 13 December 2009
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The Pushback: Buying Trends for Children’s Presents
With technology at saturation point, sedentary lifestyles for children on the rise, and
more wasted toys, parents’ Christmas shopping behaviour is changing.
Christmas shopping patterns this year have revealed:
Trend 1: Go out and play. An increase in outdoor toys, free-play (non-powered)
toys and sporting equipment. From trampolines, skateboards and bikes to water
pistols, swing sets and Frisbees.
Trend 2: Nostalgia returns. First observed with scooters returning a decade ago,
now wooden train sets, pogo sticks, marbles and collectables, gender specific toys
(toolkits for boys, makeup kits for girls), and cute dolls and princess dressups (rather
than the edgy tween dolls of the last few years) are making a return.
Trend 3: Experiences, not just accumulations. Parents are increasingly taking
children on trips, attending events and buying experiences that can be shared and
which build relationships rather than just more things. For many families today who
“have it all” it is about maximising what they have rather than accumulating more.
Particularly after the global financial crisis and in this era of environmental
sustainability, parents are enriching the journey rather than buying more “stuff”.
Trend 4: Values-based and educationally focussed. The Gen Xer parent is
increasingly looking to maximise their toy spend by ensuring their children gain a
long term benefit. Toys with a stated educational function, or toys which enhance a
skill or develop values top the list. Books, educational technologies and computer
products are in, as simplistic entertainment options are resisted. There is also a trend
of children being encouraged by their parents to give to charities at Christmas time,
sometimes even forgoing a present to do so.
Trend 5: Upageing. Consumer electronics such as iPods and digital cameras,
designed for adults are now on the shopping list for the tweens. As the sophistication
and technological literacy of children increases, parents are shifting their spend from
childhood toys to the technology “necessities” of today. Today’s “toy” shopping is as
likely to take place at Dick Smith as Toys ‘r Us.
How many toys?
The average Australian household with dependents has in excess of 100 toys.
How much do parents spend?
96% of Australian parents spend more than $100 on toys per child (aged under 16),
per year. 25% of parents have an annual toy spend per child which exceeds $500.
Christmas, Toys and Useless Presents
Sunday 13 December 2009
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“Today’s parents are starting their families six years later than their parents did
(median age of first time mother is currently 30.7 years), they are having one less child
than their parents generation (currently 1.9 babies per woman), and they most often
have a two-income household. The result is that parents have more money per child,
and spend more per child than their parents did. Generation Z (born since 1995) are the
most financially endowed generation of children ever” writes Mark McCrindle.
What kinds of toys do Australian children own?
Electronic vs. free-play: Children’s toys are a sign of the technological times. Just
over half of Australian children’s toys are powered/electronic.
Toys that aren’t toys: The largest “toy” spend on children aged over 8 is allocated
to toys that aren’t toys. The biggest category is consumer electronics (iPods, digital
cameras, mobile phones, computers and peripherals) followed by electronic game
technology (X box consoles etc, portable game consoles).
Educational toys: When selecting a toy for their child, Australian parents like to buy
toys with a stated educational benefit. Half of Australian kids have an even mix of
educational and non-educational toys (by dollar value), while just over one-third have
more educational than non-educational toys.
“In addition to being the most materially supplied generation ever, Generation Z are
also the most formally educated generation- they are starting formal education earlier
than ever, and 90% of them will complete Year 12, with most going on to further study.
Free play is out, structured activities are in- and for the Gen X hyper-parents, toys have
given way to learning tools” found Social Researcher Mark McCrindle.
Giving up childish things:
How many?
A third of Australian parents get rid of between 5 and 10 toys per child
every year. 19% get rid of over 15 toys per child per year.
Why? 2 in 3 toys are let go of because they are no longer played with. Only 1 in 5
are discarded because they are warn or broken.
Source:
McCrindle Research.
Research method:
National survey and focus groups conducted by McCrindle
Research. It was not funded or sponsored by any organisation.
The 1000 survey respondents were drawn from McCrindle
Research’s proprietary research panel AustraliaSpeaks.com
For full reports on these trends, go to:
Mark McCrindle
P: 02 8824 3422
M: 0411 5000 90
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