Prince George, B.C- So we are heading into the final weekend before Christmas, and  that means some panic shopping for some.

 

This survey from Insights West just might help you whittle down what to buy.

 

According  to the survey, which questioned 858 British Columbians  on Christmas gift preferences in 13 different gift categories, 20% of adults chose technology gifts, edging out clothing and accessories (17%)  gift certificates drew 11%, books/music/movies had 10%, cash 10% and household items were preferred by 8%.

 

Among parents with teens, when asked to rank their teen’s top preferences, technology becomes the overwhelming favourite and is ranked number one by 59% of parents.  Way lower down the list are cash (11%), clothes/ accessories (8%), books/ music/ movies (8%), and toys (7%). 

 

Among parents with kids under 12, toys rank number one among 60%, followed by technology items (21%), but nothing else comes close.

"It is surprising how dominant technology gifts are at Christmastime," says Steve Mossop, President of Insights West. "Among teens, the preferences are through the roof, overshadowing any other category by a 5-to-1 margin." 

 

A full 23% of adults in BC expect to receive at least one technology gift this year for Christmas.  This number is significantly higher among men (27%) than women (19%), and is also higher for those aged 18 to 34 years (31%) and 35 to 44 years (25%) than those aged 55+ (12%).

When it comes to the brand name of tech gifts preferred, Apple was the first choice for 59% and the tech gift of choice was iPad (34%), followed by iPhone 5 at 14% and iPad mini at 11%.