Recession has moms redefining Christmas gift lists
(File photo: Stan Honda/ AFP/ Getty Images)
Kids yearning for iPods and game consoles this holiday season may be out of luck - they may get new clothes instead.
That's because the grinch also known as the recession has moms shying away from discretionary purchases. To win their holiday business this year, merchants must convince women with children that any potential holiday gifts are necessary to their lives.
So concludes a new survey from Watertown ad agency Allen & Gerritsen, which polled 456 mothers and asked them about their holiday shopping plans.
One survey finding: The recession "has prompted moms to step back and take a long, hard look at purchasing decisions," the agency said in a press release. "Their revised criteria boils down to, 'Is this product or service a necessary part of my life?'"
How old a mother is may determine how she answers that question.
"The survey explored generational aspects of spending, finding that Boomer (54 percent) and Generation X (45 percent) moms are more willing to completely eliminate things they feel are unnecessary than their Generation Y (37 percent) counterparts," Allen & Gerritsen said in a press release.
So what's the lesson for retailers bracing for week holiday sales? (Click here to read a story in today's Globe about analysts predicting weak holiday sales.)
"During the holiday season and into 2010, retailers should emphasize the quality and durability of their products rather than just outward style or 'cool' factor," Allen & Gerritsen chief executive Andrew Graff said in a statement. "The more meaningful and long-lasting they can make their product seem, the more moms are apt to buy."
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