Teen Gift Card Survey Reveals Battle of the Sexes

When it comes to what types of gift cards teens prefer to receive, that question widens the gender gap as well. Males prefer gift cards from electronics stores (51%) while females prefer clothing stores (70%) and book stores (48%). This year's survey also points out that 95% of those asked had purchased or received a gift card.

Males are also more likely to purchase gift cards online (51%) than females (32%). Males (47%) are more likely than female teens (34%) to purchase gift cards with preset amounts on them, as compared to choosing an amount.

"This year's survey, our third focusing specifically on teens use of gift cards, really does highlight the many differences in spending habits between the sexes," said Bob Skiba, EVP of SVS. "We're seeing males wanting to avoid lines by shopping online and are more interested in being able to use a card at multiple retailers while females are interested in getting a gift card from a specific retailer and using their gift card more quickly than males," he added.

"Nearly a third of teenagers are purchasing gift cards at gift card malls," according to Skiba. "A gift card mall offers numerous retailers' gift cards and are usually found in a grocery or convenience store. That is a significant number when you realize that purchasing a gift card has been expanded to tens of thousands of locations with the gift card mall," Skiba said.

Among other key findings from the survey:

• 80% of females like a gift card because the recipient can get what he/she wants vs. 60% of males.
• Females buy gift cards because they are more convenient (36%) while males are at 32%. Females buy gift cards when they can't decide what else to get (71%); while males only cite that reason 57% of the time.
• Females are more likely to buy at a retail location (92%) than males (84%).
• About 29% of teenagers have purchased gift cards from a gift card mall, a free-standing display of variety of leading retailers' gift cards. Of those, females are more likely to purchase a gift card at a gift card mall (51%) than males (34%).
• The average number of gift cards teens purchased for friends and family over the past year was 4.3 gift cards. The average amount they loaded onto a gift card was $28.
• The top occasions for giving gift cards include: birthday, Christmas/other winter holidays, graduation, Mother's Day, Father's Day, congratulations, thank-you gift, just for fun and anniversary.

The survey was conducted online between June 27 - July 4, 2006 involving 603 10th, 11th and 12th grade students divided almost evenly by gender and class.