Audio Video News

Americans seem unfazed by inflation and the rising cost of living when it comes to gift giving. A record 209 million adults — 81% of the total U.S. adult population — are planning to spend an average of $616 this holiday season on a variety of electronics products, including headphones and earbuds, streaming services, video game consoles, and TVs, with almost 2 in 10 (17%) looking to shell out $1,000 or more.

These are some of the key findings of the recent “2023 Annual Consumer Technology Holiday Purchase Patterns” survey conducted by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA).

It’s a safe bet that readers of S&V figure prominently in the mix, so what’s on your list and how much do you plan to spend this year? Let’s see how your plans stack up against the public at large.

Nearly two-thirds of adults (64%) plan to buy at least one video product as a gift this year, with TVs topping the list at 46%. Two-thirds (64%) of TV gifters are eying screen sizes up to 60 inches, while nearly half (49%) are looking to splurge on a TV 70 inches or larger.

Other TV/video products singled out for gift giving include streamers (42%), DVD or Blu-ray players (22%), indoor or outdoor TV antennas (21%) — a sure sign that cord-cutting is alive and well — Ultra HD Blu-ray players (20%), and LCD, DLP or laser home theater projectors (19%). That projectors are in the mix will surprise some, given the advances in affordable big-screen TV made possible by technologies such as quantum dots and mini-LED backlighting.

Headphones and earbuds are on par with video products in terms of popularity, especially if they’re wireless, with 63% of U.S. adults (162.5 million) planning to buy one or the other this holiday season, though earbuds are the preferred gift.

In terms of ranking, headphones/earbuds are the No. 1 gift, in a tie with streaming/download services, with almost two-thirds of respondents (63%) looking to buy at least one streaming-related gift. Video streaming services are most popular at 49%, followed by game streaming (40%) and music streaming (36%).

Mobile device cases and smartphones are ranked No. 3 and 4 at 58% and 53%, respectively, while video gaming (consoles and games) claims the No. 5 spot (49%).

Though the gap between streaming devices and DVD/Blu-ray disc players continues to widen in favor of streaming, physical media remains a factor in 2023 with 28% of those surveyed planning to give CDs as gifts, followed by Blu-ray discs (25%) and vinyl records (25%).

Moving beyond headphones and taking a closer look at the broader audio hardware category, portable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi-based wireless speakers are another bright spot, accounting for 42% of planned gifts, followed by soundbars (34%), portable digital media players (21%), and turntables (20%).

Gaming is also a big go-to gift for Americans, with 56% of adults (145 million) planning to buy a video game-related gift. Drilling down, 49% are looking to buy hardware, ranging from consoles to controllers, with another 49% planning to gift games in the form of discs, cartridges, or downloads and 38% adding (or thinking about adding) game streaming services to their holiday shopping lists. In terms of which consoles are the most likely gift candidates, Xbox Series S/X and PlayStation 5 are the top choices (35%), followed by recent-generation consoles (28%), and retro consoles (25%).

In addition to traditional audio and video, other tech gifts named by at least 25% of survey participants include smartwatches (43%), hands-free-phone car kits (34%), rearview or dashboard cameras (28%), wearable activity trackers (29%), virtual reality headsets (28%), connected or digital toys (30%), drones (28%), electric scooters/skateboards/hoverboards (27%), pet-related technology such as cameras and tracking collars (25%), and electric bikes (25%).

Giving and Getting
Though smartphones, laptop/notebook computers, and wearables (such as smartwatches) are the top three holiday gifts survey respondents hope to receive, the list also includes TVs (fourth) and tablets (fifth), with gaming consoles, and headphones/earbuds tied for sixth place.

And in terms of who holiday shoppers plan to buy tech gifts for, self-gifting figures prominently into the plan, with four in 10 (44%) aiming to pick up a little something for themselves or their household (17%). Meanwhile, 34% are shopping for a spouse or significant other, 36% for a child (aged 12-17), and 19% for a parent.

CTA’s “2023 Annual Consumer Technology Holiday Purchase Patterns” survey was conducted online among 1,004 U.S. adults (aged 18-plus) between September 8 and 10, 2023.

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