Gift cards led expected holiday gift purchases in InComm Payments’ 2021 Holiday Report, with 80% of respondents saying they planned to give one. Clothing ranked second at 67%, followed by toys, home products and personal-care items.
The survey collected responses from 2,552 US consumers about their plans for the 2021 season. On average, respondents expected to give seven physical gift cards and three digital cards. InComm reported that 72% of gift card purchases would be planned in advance and 70% of shoppers intended to pair a card with a greeting card or another gift.
The original report landing dates the survey to September 2021. Its reported means describe intended gifts per respondent, while the public summary does not supply question-specific bases or weighting. The linked full report was not accessible during this review. [S02]
Average number of gift cards respondents planned to give in 2021
Reported rounded means from InComm's US holiday survey, not completed purchases.
cards
Tap or hover for details. All values are also available in the data table.
Source
Rounded intended counts, not actual sales or a national forecast. Full report and item-level methodology were not available.
Show data tableHide data table
| Category | Reported survey result |
|---|---|
| Physical gift cards | 7 cards |
| Digital gift cards | 3 cards |
The findings also pointed to an early start. Sixty-two percent expected to complete at least some holiday shopping before Halloween, while 85% anticipated making at least some purchases before Thanksgiving.
Among the categories recipients most wanted were online retailers, restaurants and dining, and big-box stores. Consumers also expected to visit physical shops: 93% anticipated shopping at between two and ten brick-and-mortar retailers during the season.
InComm framed the results around expectations of greater social activity following the disrupted 2020 holidays. The figures describe intentions reported ahead of the 2021 season, rather than completed purchases or current-year spending.
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Daniel Brooks
Daniel Brooks covers payment networks, financial technology, payment security, gift card fraud and PCI DSS for Gift Card News.