Earlier it was already noted that the so-called All Lovers’ Day on February 14 this year turned out to be under an avalanche of criticism coming from religious confessions, various public organizations and to some extent from mass media. In all appearances, the majority of Russians, except metropolitan residents, agreed with those critics.
Thus, according to a survey made by the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center, less than one half of Russia’s population (48%) consider Saint Valentine’s Day a holiday. The rest accordingly hold to another opinion and do not give any gifts on this date. As a whole, 28% of Russians planned to present souvenirs to their significant others on Saint Valentine’s Day, 13% - flowers, 9% - candies, with 6% falling onto each of such categories as perfumes, cosmetics, bijouterie or toys. Three percent of respondents said they would give jewelry to their beloved ones and the same number of surveyed were going to engage in some kind of housework.
According to the survey performed by Vector Market Research among the Muscovites, who celebrated the 14th of February, almost all gave gifts to their significant others: 84% of respondents to their second half, 18% to friends, 17% to relatives, and 4% did not forget about their colleagues.
25% of those surveyed managed to stay within 1,500 – 3,000 roubles, 3% spent 10,000 roubles and more. The rest laid out around 5,000 roubles.
Prevailing gifts for this holiday were perfumes or cosmetics (28%), flowers and postcards (27% in each category respectively), souvenirs with hearts (24%), jewelry (21%), garments and underwear (11%), and toys (4%).
Saint Valentine’s Day is immediately followed by two holidays, which significantly influence annual figures of retail jewelry sales. On February 23 and March 8 the majority of Russians exchange presents and jewelry is not rare among those gifts.
On the eve of March 8, the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center completed a traditional survey about people’s attitude towards the International Women’s Day. 87% of Russian citizens considered it their personal holiday, whereas only 10% believed they had nothing in common with this festivity. Such a breakdown of assessments actually remained unchanged in the course of last three years. 91% of women and 82% of men considered this holiday their own.
The most usual gift given to beloved women on the 8th of March was flowers (40%). There were quite a lot of men who presented souvenirs, postcards, purses, etc. (31%), candies (26%), perfumes, cosmetics, bijouterie (22%) and toys (10%). More expensive gifts – jewelry, garments and shoes, and domestic appliances – were given more rarely (3-5%). 6% of respondents planned to give plain money as their gifts.
Yuri Levada’s Analytical Center, which performed a similar survey, noted that jewelry was mostly preferred by women aged 25-40. At the same time, young men of up to 25 years showed the greatest readiness to present jewelry as compared with other age groups.
On the eve of March 8, the Home Credit Bank summed up the results of the research performed under the title “February 23 and March 8: the most popular gifts and credits.” The data obtained by experts, said the “Saint Petersburg Vedomosti”, give grounds to believe that by many indicators the men’s holiday is beginning to catch up the women’s holiday. The surveyors polled 1,200 respondents at the age from 20 years up who were the bank’s clients. Men were the majority among those polled – 52% and the rest 48% were accordingly women. Since quantitatively female population prevails in the country, this proportion (according to the surveyors) brought a certain balance into the statistic data.
Muscovites were one half of the respondents. The second half was represented by other regions. To be exact, by “non-Muscovites” since in choosing them there was no preference given to some single “non-Moscow” region.
According to the data derived, not only 90% of women were buying gifts for February 23, but also 68% of men. As revealed by the survey, the average amount of expenses was not too large – a little bit over 3,000 roubles. Cosmetics, perfumes, garments and accessories were among the most wanted goods. Gifts for the men’s holiday were received first of all by the closest relatives. However, 17% of respondents gave their presents to friends and 19% to their business associates.
More tremulous attitude is demonstrated by our compatriots towards the International Women’s Day. As a rule, women also congratulate each other on this holiday. 95% of the surveyed, regardless of sex, planned to give presents. Flowers, cosmetics and perfumes were among the most common gifts. The average amount of money spent reached 4,065 roubles. While men were ready to spend 7,752 roubles for their sweethearts, women managed to stay within 3,413 roubles. However, the attitude shown to these two holidays by those polled by the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center was rather “niggard”: generally in this country men spent an average of 3,280 roubles for March 8. They are a bit more generous than women, who were ready to sacrifice 2,863 roubles for February 23.
16% of men participating in the survey of Home Credit were ready to give jewelry as their gifts. 13% of women could present garments and accessories. Incidentally, as far as the March 8 gifts were concerned, women preferred to make many small gifts to various people. Men were more apt to make significant presents, although to their closest relatives. Women gave presents more often not to their family members, but to their lady-friends (men – 11%, while women – 33%) and to their colleagues (men – 16%, women – 23%).
To do this, many Russians were ready to run into debts. Among men 35% were positive about taking a credit to buy gifts, while among women this figure was lower – 23%. The most wanted credits were those given in cash - 47%, with credit cards running at 32% and consumer credits taken at trading malls reaching 18%.
Curiously enough, men were more ready to take credits and more ready than women to spend for gifts. The average amount needed for a megalopolis resident to go for holiday shopping was equal to 16,054 roubles. But about 10% of those surveyed were ready to take a credit of more than 30,000 roubles. While Muscovites were aiming at an average credit of 17,303 roubles, the residents of other cities preferred a lower credit amount – 14,782 roubles. The most preferable credit payment period among respondents was up to one year.
“The crediting data is causing bewilderment,” believes Olga Kuzina, CEO of the National Agency for Financial Research. “If some person is ready to spend from 15,000 to 30,000 roubles on presents, he or she should have a very high income. Why credit in this case? There may be only one reason for this: credits before holidays are taken by people far from being rich, who give household equipment necessary for their families as their gifts.
A questionnaire survey among 350 persons aged over 18 in Moscow demonstrated that jewelry was the most ideal present for Moscow women (34%). However, men preferred to give them cheaper gifts: flowers (42%), souvenirs (12%) and candies (11%). Almost every fifth woman in the capital (22%) would prefer to get money as a gift. According to the survey results, women’s and men’s views on gifts differed cardinally. Men were more frugal while choosing gifts, while women preferred expensive adornments and money.
Comparing the attitudes towards the two gender holidays experts noted that as a rule men were pleased to get practical and needed things as their gifts valuing more their utility and possibilities to apply and use them. However women more valued the exterior of their gifts. The major part of softer sex was glad to get romantic trinkets or jewelry or a heart-shaped box of candies - generally speaking everything beautiful, colorful and glittering. Sometimes women proceeding from their own preferences in gifts were buying similar bright and useless things for their men. According to experts, men were still inclined to put gift purchases for later dates. This is why the 6th, 7th and 8th of March turn out to be the days of peak sales.
