Have-It-All-ers, Unclassified Love Interest and Frenemy Are Hardest to Shop for, Groupon/Research Now Study Finds

As Holiday Gifting Challenges Abound, Groupon Provides Must-Needed Assistance

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Groupon (NASDAQ: GRPN) (http://www.groupon.com) today released the results of a new holiday shopping study, commissioned by Groupon and conducted by Research Now, to better understand shoppers’ biggest gifting challenges in 2012. It may be no surprise that finding the right gift is the biggest shopping challenge, but this year consumers are stressing about gifts for casual flings, frenemies (a friend who is also a rival) and those pesky folks who already have it all.

“I got flowers from an ex. I hate flowers.”

Of the 1,001 respondents polled, which included Groupon subscribers and people from the U.S. general online population, 60% reported that finding the right gift is the top holiday shopping challenge, followed by staying within budget (56%) and dealing with holiday crowds, long lines and traffic (50%). Additional findings are as follows:

Most Difficult to Shop For

• Respondents think someone who has everything is the most difficult person to shop for (68%) . . .
• . . . Followed by the unclassified love interest (not an official significant other or ex) (33%)
• Over ¼ of respondents said frenemies are the most difficult to shop for

Biggest Fears for Those Shopping for an Unclassified Love Interest

• Not knowing whether the recipient plans to give a gift in return (36%)
• Giving something that is too impersonal (28%)
• Women who have shopped/considered shopping for and unidentified love interest appeared to struggle with this more than men

Let the Re-Gifting Begin

• Despite misguided tokens of affection at Valentine’s Day or wedding gifts not on the registry, the vast majority of respondents agreed that the holidays are the #1 time of year when recipients are most likely to get a bad gift

Gee Thanks

• Ugly, ill-fitting and/or inappropriate clothing is the top unwanted gift that people receive (30%). What do people do with their unwanted gifts? A majority of respondents keep the gift but hide it away. Remember that toilet bank you got from your uncle? It’s probably still in the attic where you left it ten years ago.
• Respondents also provided a wealth of bad gift details, including:
  • “I received a gun when I was expecting an engagement ring.”
  • “I was given a cheese basket—and I’m dairy free!”
  • “A ceramic chicken.”
  • “My dad bought me car tires. It was something I needed but kinda made me sad.”
  • “Household items—things I have to DUST.”
  • “I got flowers from an ex. I hate flowers.”
  • “One glove.”
  • “Bright orange poncho dress.”

Top Challenges for Women vs. Men: Ladies Plan, Men Pine

• Women are more likely to cite "staying within budget" and "finding the right gift" as top challenges around the holiday season
• Men are more likely to have purchased or considered a gift for an ex (ex-girlfriend, ex-wife, etc.)

GROUPON HOLIDAY RELIEF

This season, Groupon is proud to provide consumers with some much needed assistance and advice in addition to a wide variety of high quality items and experiences at unbeatable prices. To provide relief and assistance during this hectic time, Groupon has developed three different ways to get help—online, through social media and live and in person—including:

Groupon Gift Finder

Groupon’s first-ever Gift Finder—at http://www.groupon.com/gifts—takes the guesswork out of making gift decisions. After answering three simple questions about the giftee, the Gift Finder searches through thousands of deals throughout Groupon to display the perfect options.

Real-Time Gift Suggestions

Groupon also debuts real-time gift suggestions via its Twitter account, @groupon. Simply tweet using the #groupongifts hashtag and tell us who you’re looking for, where they live and what they’re into.

Grouponcierges

The Grouponcierges are Groupon’s resident holiday gift-giving experts. They’re a wealth of knowledge on all things Groupon gifting and how to deal with the toughest people to buy for on your list this season. The Grouponcierges are currently touring the country to make local television and radio appearances, all in an effort to spread holiday cheer and give consumers helpful holiday tips. To book a Grouponcierge for an interview, email [e-mail].

About Groupon

Groupon (NASDAQ: GRPN) is a global leader in local commerce, making it easy for people around the world to search and discover great businesses at unbeatable prices. Groupon is reinventing the traditional small business world by providing merchants with a suite of products and services, including customizable deal campaigns, credit card payments processing capabilities and point-of-sale solutions to help them attract more customers and run their operations more effectively. By leveraging the company’s global relationships and scale, Groupon offers consumers incredible deals on the best stuff to eat, see, do, and buy in 48 countries. With Groupon, shoppers discover the best a city has to offer with Groupon Local, enjoy vacations with Groupon Getaways, and find a curated selection of electronics, fashion, home furnishings and more with Groupon Goods. To subscribe to Groupon emails, visit www.Groupon.com. To learn more about the company’s merchant solutions and how to work with Groupon, visit www.GrouponWorks.com.

About the Study

The Groupon sponsored online survey was sent via email invitation to random samples of Groupon subscribers and the U.S. online general population. The general population sample received an unbranded version of the survey, which was sent by a third party on Groupon’s behalf. The results are an aggregate of 1,001 responses total (500 general population respondents completed the survey and 501 Groupon subscribers completed it).