Books most popular gift this Christmas
Despite Germany’s supposedly increasing tech-savvy, the most common Christmas gift given this year was an old staple: the book.
Roughly 30 percent of Germans gifted books to others during Christmas, according to a survey of 1,000 consumers by the German retail federation HDE.
About 20 percent gave perfumes as gifts, roughly 18 percent gave gift certificates, games or toys and 14 percent gave sweets to their loved ones, the HDE reported.
Tech items were surprisingly well down the list this year. Twelve percent gave DVD’s as gifts but mobile phones were in 12th place at a mere 5 percent.
Women and men showed strikingly different giving patterns. One in five men gave gift certificates as presents, but that number dropped to 15 percent among women.
Men were more likely to proffer their nearest and dearest technology products such as smartphones and DVDs, while women preferred to purchase books, games and toys, the HDE said.
Though exchanging unwanted presents is more common in other countries than in Germany, the HDE reported that roughly five percent of consumers will attempt to exchange their gifts at stores this holiday season for items they would rather have.
Businesses are not obliged under German law to take back unwanted presents, but many do it as a courtesy.
The Local/DAPD/mdm
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Roughly 30 percent of Germans gifted books to others during Christmas, according to a survey of 1,000 consumers by the German retail federation HDE.
About 20 percent gave perfumes as gifts, roughly 18 percent gave gift certificates, games or toys and 14 percent gave sweets to their loved ones, the HDE reported.
Tech items were surprisingly well down the list this year. Twelve percent gave DVD’s as gifts but mobile phones were in 12th place at a mere 5 percent.
Women and men showed strikingly different giving patterns. One in five men gave gift certificates as presents, but that number dropped to 15 percent among women.
Men were more likely to proffer their nearest and dearest technology products such as smartphones and DVDs, while women preferred to purchase books, games and toys, the HDE said.
Though exchanging unwanted presents is more common in other countries than in Germany, the HDE reported that roughly five percent of consumers will attempt to exchange their gifts at stores this holiday season for items they would rather have.
Businesses are not obliged under German law to take back unwanted presents, but many do it as a courtesy.
The Local/DAPD/mdm
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