ROCKVILLE, Md. (PRNewswire) — Food gifting was once almost exclusively the domain of major holidays, birthdays, and graduations, but modern food gifters are finding reasons to not only give during less obvious celebratory occasions, but are also making purchases with a surprising recipient in mind: themselves.
According to market research publisher Packaged Facts, 42% of consumers have purchased at least one food gift for others in the past 12 months. An even larger percentage (47%), purchased at least one for themselves, underscoring food gifting's inherent power of self-gratification, indulgence, and pampering. The finds were published in the recently released report Food Gifting in the U.S., 4th Edition.
Men and higher-income consumers are among those most likely to purchase food gifts for themselves, and both are key segments that will drive the market to healthy growth through 2016. To increase self-gifting among other consumer groups and to capitalize on the trend, marketers should consider promoting buy one, get one offers that encourage shoppers to buy an item for themselves as well as a gift for someone else, notes Packaged Facts research director David Sprinkle.
While boxed chocolates/candies are the most prevalently purchased for self, other food gifts are not far behind, including cooking condiments, sweet baked gift foods, nut/salty snack gift foods, and sweet condiments. In this regard, self-gifters choose items such as chocolate or sweet baked gift foods to indulge their sweet tooth, as well as more practical items they can use every day.
Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com, publishes market intelligence on a wide range of consumer market topics, including consumer demographics and shopper insights, consumer financial products and services, consumer goods and retailing, consumer packaged goods, and pet products and services. Packaged Facts also offers a full range of custom research services.