Erica Garmon hadn’t planned on shopping for herself. Then she got her hands on a coupon for 40 percent off at the Coach store at North Georgia Premium Outlets. Before she knew it, she was walking out with a $100 bag.
“I’ve been a good girl this year,” the Stone Mountain resident said. “I deserved it.”
She’s not alone in that sentiment. The National Retail Federation says six out of 10 people who go out shopping this holiday season will end up buying something for themselves as well, spending an average of $140. And if they’re young, 25 to 34, they’ll spend even more, about $175.
The good deals, and a recession that kept people from shopping as frequently, means more consumers are seeing items they’d like for themselves while out they’re searching for gifts
Prior to the recession, “the consumer bought whatever they wanted whenever they wanted it,” said Marshal Cohen, chief retail analyst for NPD Group. “Self-gifting is a really good indication of how the consumer has changed.”
Shoppers used to be embarrassed about buying for themselves while they were shopping for others, Cohen said, but much like the trend toward buying gift cards, it’s become increasingly acceptable. Self-gifting has risen because people with gift cards are spending on themselves and because there is still pent-up demand from shoppers who haven’t returned to stores at the same rate they once shopped.
Garmon said she has been tempted to buy herself presents in nearly every store she entered. By the time Christmas comes, she expects she will have spent more than $300 on herself. Her budget for ten other people is $2,000.
“The consumer has discovered that one of the best times to buy something for yourself is the holiday season,” said Daniel Butler, the NRF’s vice president of retail operations. “There’s a lot on sale. You naturally go out and find things.”
Amanda Williamson found a pair of socks and a cute shirt on sale at New York & Company, and the price was right — the Atlanta resident spent $7 on both. But, she said, it’s unusual for her to buy things for herself when she’s shopping for others.
Audria Jones, though, intended to treat herself. She was looking for gifts at Perimeter Mall, but knew she’d likely buy some items she needed, as well. The Atlanta resident estimated she’d spend $400 on others and $300 on herself.
Her friend, Shelby Washington, was finding shoes, a skirt and a scarf to bring home. None of the purchases was planned.
“I haven’t been shopping as much,” said Washington, who lives in Stone Mountain. “Because there are so many deals going on for the moment, it only makes sense to get stuff for yourself.”
Now that shoppers see the kinds of discounts they can get if they wait until the holidays to buy for themselves, Cohen said, the trend is likely to increase.
“It’s going to take a pretty dramatic change in economic conditions for the consumer to go back,” he said. “Self-gifting is here for a long time.”
Retailers realize that those who camp out at Best Buy for a big-screen TV largely aren’t shopping for other people. They’ve begun to market accordingly.
Household appliances might not make great gifts for others, but a good deal will lead customers to buy items that might have been on their to-do lists after the holidays. Similarly, a buy-one-get-one free discount could mean shoppers are more likely to pick up a piece of clothing — one as a gift, and one to take home.
“If I see a really great sweater for you, why should you be the only one to get it?” Cohen said.
More spending on self may mean that some people are giving fewer gifts, Cohen said, while others decide to spend less per person.
That’s the case for Emanuel Taylor. He wants clothes for himself, so he expects to spend about $10 less per person to ensure he has enough left over.
“I wanted to get other people done first, before I got me,” the Marietta resident said. “But I want something, too.”
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