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Worst Part of Holidays for 52% of U.S. Consumers Is Wrapping Gifts

Dan Shepard
Dan Shepard is the managing editor for studies and surveys at LendingTree. In this role, he edits studies and surveys for LendingTree and its subsidiaries ValuePenguin and DepositAccounts.
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Pearly Huang
Pearly Huang is the copy chief at LendingTree. Pearly has previously worked at the Huffington Post, American Express Publishing and more.
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Updated on:
Content was accurate at the time of publication.

Among a litany of annoyances and “things we would rather avoid,” nothing warrants a holiday groan more than wrapping gifts.

According to a recent survey from Los Angeles-based online deals platform Slickdeals, 52% of U.S. consumers believe wrapping gifts is the most dreaded part of the holiday season. In fact, more than half (51%) say they try to avoid gift wrapping at all costs, preferring to pay a professional.

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U.S. consumers prefer easy-to-wrap gifts

Gift wrapping is such a loathed task this holiday season that half of Slickdeals respondents say they’ll go out of their way to buy easy-to-wrap gifts. The hardest presents to wrap, according to respondents, are:

  • Bicycles (55%)
  • Gym equipment (46%)
  • Sporting balls (45%)
  • Guitars (45%)
  • Candles (22%)

Nearly 6 in 10 (59%) U.S. consumers say they can tell what something is — and who it’s from — based on how it’s wrapped. Respondents report spending an average of $56 on gift wrap during the holidays, so many appear to focus on their guessing rather than their wrapping.

Americans expect to spend an average of over $250 this holiday season

Gift-wrapping woes aside, Americans intend to spend well more than $250, on average, this holiday season — minus travel costs. (The Slickdeals survey didn’t specify the exact amount beyond “well over $250.”) Consumers also plan to dole out an average of $61 on holiday-edition exclusives — think seasonal foods, festive attire and new beauty products.
Respondents with kids expect the average cost of gifts for children this season will be $89, on average. And 68% of parents say their kids have a long holiday wish list this season.

LendingTree survey: Nearly half of Americans are dreading the holidays as some are still paying off last year’s spending

Not just looking at kids’ lists, what do people hope to receive this year? The most anticipated gifts this year include:

  • New smartphones, laptops and TVs (43%)
  • Experiential gifts (42%)
  • Popular toys (38%)
  • Video game consoles (36%)
  • Clothing (32%)
  • Board games (31%)
  • Kitchen appliances (28%)
  • Furniture (26%)
  • Fitness equipment (22%)
  • Self-care products (19%)

While there’s a lot to get excited about, U.S. consumers are afraid Santa might not make a proper — and timely — drop-off this year. More than half of respondents have concerns about shipping delays (56%), the rising costs of goods (56%) and inventory shortages (51%).

So what about Secret Santa gifts?

More than 1 in 3 (37%) respondents plan to participate in a Secret Santa exchange this holiday season. And while they can be fun, Secret Santa exchanges can be quite unpopular.

Among respondents, 79% say they hate getting reeled into a Secret Santa exchange because they don’t know what to buy. Further, 87% admit they regift things they’ve received from past Secret Santa exchanges.

Despite Secret Santa exchanges not being everyone’s favorite holiday activity, respondents say they spend an average of $85 on them. More than 8 in 10 (86%) of these exchanges have spending limits, while more than 9 in 10 (93%) consumers look for sales to help them save.

To make Secret Santa exchanges more enjoyable and prevent regifting, have participants send a wish list beforehand. And to avoid holiday debt hangover this year, set spending limits on your credit cards and make the most of cashback credit card rewards.

Methodology: Slickdeals commissioned OnePoll to survey 2,000 U.S. consumers from Oct. 7-12, 2021.