Self-Gifters Increasingly Stuff Their Own Holiday Stockings
Self-Gifters Increasingly Stuff Their Own Holiday Stockings
They say it’s better to give than to receive, but They haven’t been to the mall lately.
Americans are doing more and more holiday shopping for themselves, data over the last decade show, even as planned gift-buying for family members has stayed steady (sorry friends and co-workers, your numbers are down).
The reasons are complicated, including a recession that’s transformed what used to be a magical few days of strolling past Santa-themed window displays into a weeks-long, competitive fire sale. But experts on consumer psychology say a major cultural shift has been building: It has now become acceptable — even necessary — to give ourselves treats and rewards all year long. We’re ripe for a new generation of ads like J. Crew’s “To: You, From: You,” or Bare Minerals’ “What’s your gift?”
Is the old-fashioned concept of the gift, that emblem of humility, in danger?