Kids’ Christmas wishes: What they want…and what they’ll actually get

10 Little Lords (and Ladies) Leap for Joy Over Christmas Toys and Gifts

A child’s Christmas wish. So pure and innocent, yet, for companies selling to kids, so critically important as well. This new research from Field Agent addresses what kids are asking for this holiday season as well as how parents plan to respond. It’s anything but child’s play.

Few annual rituals are more sacred to children than making that all-important Christmas wish list. And the implications for many stores and brands are enormous. If kids get most or even just some of what they ask for, then, for companies selling children’s products, it’s of paramount importance to be on those wish lists. But, do parents still tell their children that Santa is real?

Consequently, we at Field Agent surveyed 333 parents with children still at home to determine not only what types of gifts kids have their sights set on this year, but also how much parents figure to spend on their little ones’ wishes.

Wish Lists VS Household Budgets

A wish is just a wish until someone grants it. And, at Christmas, it takes parents (otherwise known as Santa) to actually make that wish come true. But unlike Santa, parents operate in the real world of budgets and bills. Behind every child’s wish list is a parent counting the costs. So just how much will parents spend on their children this holiday season? And, of the gifts they’re asking for this year, how much will kids actually receive?

We posed these two important questions to over 300 parents. On the matter of how much parents expect to spend on their children this Christmas, we learned:

On average, in 2014, households will spend $219.74 per child.

Altogether, responses ranged from a low of $3 to a high of $1,000 per child. The most frequently cited (i.e., mode) response was $100, and the median value was $200.

Other common responses were as follows:

Kids Ask, Parents Respond

But this information left us wanting more. We were eager to know what these dollar amounts would actually mean for hopeful kids and their wish lists. That is, will children receive all, most, some, a little, or none of what they’re asking for this year? The results were pretty encouraging, if you’re a kid…or a company selling children’s gifts. 

Our survey revealed that 53% of kids will receive most of their Christmas wishes, the highest response for this question. Additionally, 34% will get some and 5% a little of what they’re asking for this year.

But what about the extremes? Will any kids get absolutely everything or absolutely nothing they desire? 8% of parents said their kids will get everything on their wish lists—which, of course, may be owing to the small size of the kid’s wish list as much as the parent’s generosity or purchase power. Kids in only one household, not even 1% of the sample, will receive none of their requests.

Visions of sugar plums…and action figures, games, and dolls

We wanted to go beyond dollars and cents, to understand what kids are actually yearning for this year. So we asked parents to identify the one gift their children are most hopeful for this Christmas season. After analyzing more than 300 top wishes from across the country, we gained a better idea of what types of toys and gifts are likely to fare well this holiday shopping season.

There were 10 toy/gift categories with double-digit responses. However, four of these responses clearly distinguished themselves as the top categories in our survey, and they were action toys/figures (18%), video gaming (15%), dolls/accessories (12%), and computing (11%).

Rounding out the top 10 were building blocks, bikes/ride-ons, clothes/wearable items, entertainment, arts/crafts, and sports-related items. Thus, the results suggest certain products—from Barbie Dolls to Call of Duty—may already have the upper-hand this holiday season. And all with just a few strokes of a child’s #2 pencil.

Wishing for Reliable Market Research?    

Don’t just wish for reliable consumer insights and business information. Mobile market research offers the right combination of speed, affordability, and accuracy, meaning it’s never been easier for companies to get close to their customers and in-store operations.

Retail Solutions for Any Challenge

The 12 Surveys of Christmas:

• A Peek at America's Favorite Movies and Music
• Does America Still Believe in Santa Claus?
• Kid's Christmas Wishes
• The Christmas Party Scene: How America Celebrates, and What it Means for Retail
• Holiday Foods go Head-to-Head
• "I'll be Home for Christmas," says most of America
• Gifts Galore! It’s Christmastime (and the busiest time) in the City
• “The New, Old-Fashioned Way”: 5 Ways Personal Technology is Reprogramming Christmas
• The Spirit of Giving: Charity, Service, and What it Means for Companies
• 3 Key Insights into Holiday Shoppers: When, How, and Why They Buy
• Stocking Stuffer & Consumer Insight Surprises
• 1,000 Christmas Trees across America [Video]