Playing it safe: Chocolates, gift baskets are 'most universally enjoyed' holiday gifts

NEW YORK (StudyFinds.org) - What do you get the person who thinks they have everything? A new poll finds it’s a good idea to keep it simple, with chocolate or gift cards being your best bet.

A survey of 2,000 Americans finds that while 58 percent think they’re pretty easy to shop for during the holidays, one in 20 believe they’re impossible to shop for. Two in three of those impossible to shop for say it’s because they’re extremely picky about what they want. Nearly half believe they either have everything they could possibly want (47%) or never know what to ask for (45%).

Meanwhile, three in four people who claim to be easy to shop for during the holidays think their secret is simply being “easy to shop for.” Sixty-eight percent believe the thought behind the gift counts more than the gift itself.

Here’s my holiday gift list, stick to it

No matter the case, respondents believe the most universally enjoyed gifts are chocolate (58%), holiday gift baskets (50%), and gift cards (49%). For two-thirds of Americans, these gifts are easy go-to’s for the picky people in their lives.

Commissioned by BJ’s Wholesale Club and conducted by OnePoll, the study also reveals the most useful gift to have this holiday season isn’t a hot ticket item — instead, it’s a wish list. Seven in 10 admit they request other people to give them a wish list of the gifts they want for the holidays and 62 percent do the same, giving others their own wish list.

To help ease the daunting task, 49 percent of self-identified impossible giftees especially prefer giving others a wish list of exactly what they want. Respondents most often share their holiday shopping wish lists with significant others (51%), their kids (41%), and friends (36%). For 74 percent, there’s no pressure — they’ll buy something for themselves if they don’t receive an item from their holiday wish list.

Two-thirds of Americans also admit they’ll feel guilty if someone buys them an expensive gift for the holidays. It takes an average of $264 for holiday spending guilt to set in.

“Shopping for loved ones this holiday doesn’t have to feel daunting or stressful,” says Molly Cox, senior vice president of general merchandise at BJ’s Wholesale Club, in a statement. “In an easy one-stop-shop, you can find a wide assortment of both unique and tried-and-true gifts, even for the pickiest gift recipients on your list.”

This again?

The survey also discovered that 63 percent of Americans have previously received a duplicate gift during the holidays.

After receiving the same gift, people say they either re-gift it (52%), use it anyways (52%), or donate it (41%). Ninety-two percent of re-gifters have no shame in doing so if it’s an item they don’t like or already have.

To get a jump start on holiday shopping, a third of respondents start before August. Thirty-six percent will get all of their holiday shopping done either online or in-person, but only from a single store.