Research Reveals the Gifts People Really Want!

By Ali + Julie on 8 Apr 2023

Scratching your head about what gift to give child’s coach, farewell for co-worker, friends birthday? Don’t know what they’d like? You’re right it can actually be difficult to know what people really want. GroupTogether, the website that makes it easy for people to group together for gifts revealed data about what people buy when they can choose for themselves! Last year, over 100,000 people received a gift card from GroupTogether ~ and we conducted a survey to see just what they bought with it! And you could NEVER HAVE GUESSED!

Most recipients were adults and received the gift card as farewell gifts (office), gifts for the coach from a kids’ team or gifts for the teacher to say thanks.

What Did People Buy When Given the Choice?

Broken down into categories, here is what the Gift Card recipients bought:

1. Designer Apparel

Most people chose a David Jones gift card and bought designer apparel! The reason for this is because they would not normally spend their own money on designer things, so it really was a special gift! Types of purchases included:

  • Marc Jacobs backpack
  • Ray Ban sunglasses
  • The Daily Edited personalised Bag/Wallet
  • Adidas hoodie and foam roller
  • Designer handbag
  • Formal dress for a wedding
  • Designer denim jacket

2. Technology

The second most bought gift was technology! This included:

  • An Apple watch / Apple accessories
  • Expresso Machines
  • Speakers (Bose, Boom etc)
  • Video Games

3. Pampering

The third most sought after gift was some form of pampering! An endota spa gift card for pampering packages or a David Jones gift card to buy perfume, makeup or skincare – but specific favourite brands.

4. Helping Others

The greatest surprise for us was the number of recipients that actually used their gift to gift to others, usually a relative. One response that really touched our hearts was this teacher. She said:

“I hosted a dinner party for the support staff teachers who had helped me get through 2018 and used my voucher to buy all the ingredients for a yummy roast dinner and dessert! This was a fabulous gift from the parents – something of real use, not just my usual 25 boxes of chocolates and coffee mugs! Thank you!”

5. Help With Food

Many people struggle at Christmas time to make ends meet, with the cost of presents and additional food. Thus the fifth most common gift was a Coles gift card. In some cases it freed up their cash to then buy Christmas presents and in others it allowed them to put on an extra special Christmas spread!

There were also some who chose the gift card from The Dinner Ladies (homemade meal delivery service in Sydney). Great for new mums or people going through difficult times.

6. Experiences

In line with the trend towards experiences over more “stuff” were RedBalloon gift cards being utilised for bridge climbs and wine appreciation classes and also Event Cinema gift cards.

Want to let your friend choose something THEY really want? Let us help. www.Grouptogether.com. It’s quick, easy and free!

Use GroupTogether to organise a gift they'll really want

Let everyone chip in and sign the card online.

Ali Julie Square

Ali + Julie

Co-Founders, GroupTogether

Life’s busy. That’s why we’re here to make it easy for you to collect money from a group. Less wasted time, less packaging waste, and spending a little less but giving a lot better!

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