Gender Identity

Gift purchases are the most common purchase activity conducted by consumers. The Christmas season is crucial for many retailers and account for 40-50% of yearly sales and profits.   In a study of gift buying behavior by Sherry and McGrath, it is found that women are much more active holiday shoppers. Caplow (1982) found that 84% of all gifts are purchased by women because they more persuaded by marketing tactics aimed at getting them to buy holiday merchandise sooner which is the main reason why women finish their holiday shopping before men.
The values of the holidays are associated with women in the fact they have been said to “dominate” Christmas. Women have always controlled the rituals of buying and wrapping gifts, preparing and serving the means, and decorating the home. Christmas shopping is commonly known as “women’s work” which stems from the traditional fact that women are responsible for all duties related to taking care of the children. This established stereotype supports Fisher and Arnolds (1990) findings of gender differences in holiday shopping today. Women view the duties as essential. Some might enjoy it and find it somewhat rewarding, but women feel like it is their obligation to do the “work.” Men, conversely, feel obliged to purchase gifts for spouses and sometimes children, but not for other family and friends. They do enjoy buying gifts as long as the process isn’t too prolonged or too painful (Fischer and Arnold, 1990).
Gender-related patterns in gift giving show that women are the primary gift givers because of their greater concern with showing love. Nancy Chodorow states in The Reproduction of Mothering, since men are not as accustomed to need to identify themselves as loving or caring, gift giving does not offer them the same reinforcement of a desirable self image (Chodorow, 1978). Men actually describe their reasons for buying a gift in terms of a materialistic value. They are more often reported buying “self gifts” and gifts they... [continues]

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