National Consumer Agency
Market Research Findings:
Gift Vouchers/Cards
December 2013
Research Conducted by
Table of Contents
2
 Key Findings
 Gift Voucher/Card Survey
 Research Methodology and Profile of Sample
Making Complaints
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3
Key Findings
Making Complaints
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Key Findings
4
• 81% of consumers have bought gift vouchers/cards in the past and 51% are planning
to buy gift vouchers/cards this Christmas
• Average anticipated spend on gift vouchers/cards this Christmas is €174
• When purchasing or receiving gift vouchers/cards, over 1 in 4 do not check the expiry
date
Making Complaints
• When receiving a gift voucher/card, 4 in 5 (78%) do not check the fees and charges
• Almost half of adults (48%) have let a gift voucher/card expire
• Majority don’t know what happens if a company that has provided gift vouchers/cards
goes into liquidation
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5
Gift Voucher/Card Survey
Making Complaints
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4 in 5 have given a gift voucher/card as a Christmas present
in the past
Base: All adults 16+ 1,011
6
%
GENDER
No, have not
given a gift
voucher/card as
a present
78
83
Men
Women
AGE
19%
78
15-34
87
35-54
Making Complaints
78
55+
CLASS
86
ABC1
81%
Yes, have bought a
gift voucher/card
as a present
*F
Rest Leinster
www.consumerhelp.ie
Q
61
REGION
Dublin
High proportion of consumers (81%) have given gift
vouchers/cards as a Christmas present in the past.
Highest amongst women, 35-54’s and the higher socio
economic grouping
80
C2DE
Munster
Conn/Ulster
Have you ever bought gift vouchers or gift cards as a Christmas present in the past?
83
81
82
76
* Caution Small Base
Half plan to give a gift voucher/card this year
Base: All adults 16+ 1,011
7
No, do not plan on
purchasing gift
vouchers./cards
as Christmas
presents this year
GENDER
%
Men
53
50
Women
AGE
15-34
49%
35-54
Making Complaints
55+
51%
51
54
49
CLASS
55
ABC1
Yes, plan on
purchasing gift
vouchers/cards
as Christmas
presents this year
C2DE
*F
Q
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53
REGION
Dublin
Rest Leinster
Just over half (51%) of consumers plan to give gift
vouchers/cards as Christmas presents this year
49
Munster
Conn/Ulster
Do you plan on purchasing gift vouchers/gift cards this Christmas?
50
53
51
52
* Caution Small Base
€174 is the average intended spend on gift vouchers/cards this
Christmas
Base: All who plan on giving Christmas gift vouchers/cards 519
8
Total
Men
Women
15-34
35-54
55+
ABC1
25
More than €200
36
38
34
C2DE
29
41
45
42
Dublin
R.Lein
35
32
Munster
37
Conn/
Uls
42
7
10
From €125 to €200
8
7
10
Making Complaints
26
12
4
Less than €70
Don't Know
Average Gift
Voucher/
Card spend
26
6
€174
www.consumerhelp.ie
24
24
28
7
5
€186
€162
Q
4
23
23
21
24
19
16
1
8
10
€123
€195
€221
25
25
24
30
41
7
8
From €70 to €125
24
9
11
26
22
8
4
€181
26
€152
How much do you intend spending on gift vouchers/cards this Christmas?
3
€169
26
25
8
6
€154
€172
17
29
7
€212
Multi Outlet Vouchers/Cards are the Most Popular
Base: All adults 16+ 1,011
9
Most likely to
purchase
%
Multi outlet vouchers/cards
Any Purchase
%
32
Single outlet gift vouchers/cards (e.g. independent
shops/hairdressers/hotel/restaurant)
49
22
Chain store gift voucher/card
17
Shopping centre gift voucher/card
16
46
44
Making Complaints
Generic category vouchers/cards (e.g. book
vouchers usable in any store etc.)
8
Other 1
32
23
5
Don't know 1 1
Q
Q
In general when purchasing gift vouchers/cards which of the following are you most likely to purchase? Single Response
Do you purchase any of the others? Multi response
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3 in 4 check expiry dates, while just half check conditions of use
when purchasing a gift voucher/card
Base: All who buy gift vouchers/cards 971
10
Check Expiry Dates
No
28%
Check Conditions of Use
No
48%
Making Complaints
52%
72%
Yes
Yes
Q
www.consumerhelp.ie
When purchasing gift vouchers/gift cards, which of the following do you check?
3 in 5 have received a gift voucher/card as a present in the
last 12 months
Base: All adults 16+ 1,011
11
%
63
Total
No, have not
received a gift
voucher/card as
a present in
past 12 months
GENDER
Men
58
68
Women
AGE
15-34
37%
35-54
Making Complaints
55+
63%
65
62
63
CLASS
Yes, have
received a gift
voucher/card as a
present in past 12
months
C2DE
F*
57
REGION
Dublin
Rest Leinster
Women more likely to have received a gift
voucher/card as a present in past 12 months
66
63
ABC1
Munster
Conn/Ulster
62
63
67
61
* Caution Small Base
Q
www.consumerhelp.ie
Have you received a gift voucher/gift card as a present in the last 12 months?
On receiving gift vouchers/cards, 3 in 4 check expiry dates, while just half
check conditions of use. Just 1 in 5 check fees and charges.
Base: All who received a gift voucher/card in last 12 months 645
12
Check Expiry Dates
27%
Check Conditions
No
No
50%
Making Complaints
73%
50%
Yes
Yes
Q
www.consumerhelp.ie
When you receive a gift voucher/gift card, do you check the following?
Check Fees & Charges
No
78%
22%
Yes
Almost half have let a gift voucher/card expire
Base: All adults 16+ 1,011
13
GENDER
%
Men
45
51
Women
No, have not
let a gift
voucher/card
expire
AGE
46
15-34
55
35-54
48%
52%
55+
Making Complaints
43
CLASS
51
ABC1
Yes, have let a
gift voucher/card
expire
45
C2DE
51
F*
REGION
52
Dublin
Women, 35-54’s, higher socio economic grouping,
Dublin and Munster region are most likely to have let
a gift voucher/card expire
Rest Leinster
40
54
Munster
Conn/Ulster
45
* Caution Small Base
Q
www.consumerhelp.ie
Have you ever let a gift voucher/card expire?
Majority of consumers unaware of their rights if company
goes into liquidation
Base: All adults 16+ 1,011
14
%
May not receive the
value of
voucher/card
16
Entitled to get
money/value back
7
No
rights/entitlements
(general)
6
Making Complaints
Added to list of
creditors
Don't Know
www.consumerhelp.ie
Q
4
71
Do you know what your rights are, if any, if a company goes into liquidation and you have a gift voucher/card for that company?
15
Research Methodology and
Profile of
Sample
Making
Complaints
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Methodology and Profile of Sample
Base: All adults 16+ 1,011
16
Gender
Age
15-34
Male
37
49
Social
Class
Region
Dublin 28
ABC1
41
Making Complaints• A nationally representative sample of
Rest of Leinster
35-54
1,011 adults aged 16+ was surveyed via
means of a telephone omnibus.
35
C2DE
Female
26
51
Munster 27
51
55+
28
Conn./Ulster 18
F
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8
• Fieldwork was conducted between 12th
– 25th November 2013.
• Quotas are imposed in relation to
gender, age, social class & region to
ensure that the sample is reflective of
the Irish population aged 16+.