The Great Gift Debate: Who Is Toughest To Buy For?

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Dec. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A new survey commissioned by Sears revealed that the average American's holiday shopping list contains eight people and spouses are the toughest person to shop for this year. The survey also shows that apparel and electronics are the most coveted gifts during the holiday season; with 70 percent of women ages 18 to 34 putting apparel at the top of their wish list.

"Apparel always makes a great gift and a sleek gold dress is a staple that every girl needs this holiday season," said fashion expert, Kim Kardashian. "Everyone should be able to have some fun with their wardrobe; the Kardashian Kollection provides great pieces at really budget conscious prices."

The Kardashian Kollection is only available at Sears and features bold trends and glamorous looks. The Metallic Bandage dress from the Kardashian Kollection is a hot look for a night out and the fashionable velour track suit is cozy and cute for lounging during the holidays.

Coming out of Black Friday, Sears saw electronics in high demand - a trend supported by Sears survey data, which shows that two thirds of men ages 18 to 34 want electronics like TVs, tablets and headphones this Christmas. The new Sears exclusive Alphaline line of headphones and electronics accessories, such as the iPhone/Pod docking station with speakers, are proving to be a popular stocking stuffer.

The Sears survey revealed additional trends on the hottest selling gift items, including:

• About 21 percent of men surveyed put hand tools and power tools at the top of their most-wanted gift items.
  • Sears' take: Based on customer reaction, the Craftsman Bolt-On appears to be on a lot of guy's wish lists this year.
• Home goods and large home appliances are showing up on nearly 30 percent of gift lists on two fronts; both as gifts and for those looking to refresh the look and style of their home before holiday entertaining goes into full-swing.
  • Sears' take: The brand new Kenmore Elite Grab-n-Go refrigerator is an ideal gift for families who are entertaining over the holidays and need a place to put those extra pieces of turkey, sides and pies; and red ceramic bowls from Sandra Lee are a perfect way to brighten up a kitchen.
• Men say they like practical gifts, with 17 percent asking for sporting goods like fitness equipment and 14 percent asking for auto care items.
  • Sears' take: As the nation's No. 1 fitness retailer, Sears exclusively offers NordicTrack equipment like the NordicTrack C1750 Pro with built-in internet browser.

"There's just no better feeling than finding that perfect holiday gift for someone you love," said Ty Pennington. "A lot of my friends and family are obviously into DIY, so going to Sears for the top tool brand makes my holiday gift shopping really easy. I'm also gifting from my outdoor living collection at Sears because it's something cool that people can use year-round."

Sandra Lee also looks for gifts that give year-round:

"The most wonderful time of the year is the perfect occasion to show loved ones near and far how much they mean to you," said Sandra Lee. "This holiday season, I'm giving my friends and family gifts that make entertaining easy, affordable and fun and will bring them joy all year round. From an electric grill, to a programmable slow cooker, to stainless cookware or bright and colorful tablescapes – you'll find it at Sears."

No matter who is on the shopping list, Sears SHOP YOUR WAY Members and customers will be surprised by the wide selection of exclusive, new holiday gifts at great values that are both celebrity inspired and approved. Members can find more celebrity-recommended ideas by following the Kardashians, Pennington and Lee, and others on their SHOP YOUR WAY brand pages at ShopYourWay.com.

"Only at Sears can you get insight from celebrities and shopping experts like the Kardashians, Ty Pennington and Sandra Lee who are showing our customers how to gift this holiday," said Ron Boire, executive vice president, chief merchandising officer and president, Sears and Kmart Formats. "Shopping and gifting at the holidays is an exciting tradition and unexpected gift ideas from the best brands in electronics, jewelry, appliances, tools and apparel can only be found at Sears."

For additional media materials and information please visit the Sears holiday electronic press kit. For more survey results, contact the Sears Media Hotline at 312-527-2SHC (2742).

Methodology
The Russell Omnibus was conducted online from November 16 – November 19, 2012 among 1,027 online adults across the United States and 200 online adults across 12 markets.  Figures for gender, age, and geography were weighted where necessary to match their actual proportions in the population. In theory, with probability samples of this size, one could say with 95 percent certainty that the results have a statistical precision of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points (general population) / 6.9 percentage points (individual markets) of what they would be if the entire adult population had been polled with complete accuracy. Unfortunately, there are several other possible sources of error in all polls or surveys that are probably more serious than theoretical calculations of sampling error. They include refusals to be interviewed (non-response), question wording and question order, and weighting. It is impossible to quantify the errors that may result from these factors. This online survey is not a probability sample.

About Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Sears, Roebuck and Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD), is a leading broadline retailer providing merchandise and related services and is part of SHOP YOUR WAY, a social shopping experience where members have the ability to earn Points and receive benefits across a wide variety of physical and digital formats through ShopYourWay.com.  Sears, Roebuck offers its wide range of home merchandise, apparel and automotive products and services through its Sears-branded and affiliated stores in the United States and Canada. Sears, Roebuck also offers a variety of merchandise and services through sears.com, landsend.com, and specialty catalogs. Sears, Roebuck offers consumers leading proprietary brands including Kenmore, Craftsman, DieHard and Lands' End -- among the most trusted and preferred brands in the U.S.  The company is the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 15 million service and installation calls made annually. For more information, visit the Sears, Roebuck website at www.sears.com or the Sears Holdings Corporation website at www.searsholdings.com.

SOURCE Sears, Roebuck and Co.