How to go Christmas Shopping: for Men & on a Budget

It's the biggest shopping season of the year! Buying a special gift for the man in your life shouldn't be a hefty task. Take these tips from our panel of 250 men surveyed about what they really want for Christmas.

Shopping for Men: 2 Gift-Buying Insights

1. Details matter:

When millions of families sit down to watch “A Christmas Story” this year, they’ll hear Ralphie ask not just for a BB gun, but for “an official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing which tells time.”

Like Ralphie, men care about technical specifications. When we analyzed agents’ responses, we noticed men asking not for headphones, but for wireless, noise-cancelling headphones. This was true for many of the wishes we collected. Truly, features and specifications matter to men.

2. Know their end-game.

Investigate a little. Why, exactly, are the men in your life asking for that TV, sound system, or grill? He might, for instance, want the grill to enhance tailgating experiences, or the sound system for better enjoying action movies. In our study, agents sometimes followed their wish with the word “for,” as in “a TV for…”

So explore their end reasons for wanting that gift, as this knowledge could influence which brands, styles, and features you should purchase.   

See also: Do Adults Express, Receive Their Christmas Gift Wishes? [Survey]

Holiday Gifts on a Budget

Of course, if you ask men or anyone else what they most want for Christmas, you’ll likely get some pretty pricey responses.

But what about customers shopping on a budget?

To learn what stocking stuffers or modestly priced presents men desire this year, we sent our male agents to mass merchandisers across the country to take pictures of gifts under $25 they would like to see under their trees. Definite themes surfaced.

Popular gifts under $25

• Small electronics (e.g., mobile accessories/digital watches)

  DVDs

  Video games

  Small tools

  Shaving gear

  Small kitchen appliances (e.g., coffee/popcorn maker)

  Inexpensive clothes (e.g., basic sweatshirts, t-shirts, underwear)

  Small athletic items (e.g., golf gloves; footballs)   

  Mobile Santa

  Like Santa, mobile market research has a way of getting to the truth—whether it’s in-store shopper insights, at-home product use tests, or, yes, what men really want for Christmas. Watch the Field Agent blog throughout December for rich, timely, and accurate insights into holiday shoppers.

• Small electronics (e.g., mobile accessories/digital watches)

  DVDs

  Video games

  Small tools

  Shaving gear

  Small kitchen appliances (e.g., coffee/popcorn maker)

  Inexpensive clothes (e.g., basic sweatshirts, t-shirts, underwear)

  Small athletic items (e.g., golf gloves; footballs)   

  Mobile Santa

  Like Santa, mobile market research has a way of getting to the truth—whether it’s in-store shopper insights, at-home product use tests, or, yes, what men really want for Christmas. Watch the Field Agent blog throughout December for rich, timely, and accurate insights into holiday shoppers.