Bah Humbug! Mail Carriers And Neighbors Most Forgotten Holiday Gift Recipients

PORTLAND, Maine, Dec. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- With only a few holiday shopping weeks left, Americans need to check their lists twice (or more) to avoid overlooking those closest to home when it comes to gift giving, according to a survey by CashStar, the world's leading digital gifting and incentives company. Nearly 56 million* adult online Americans are likely to forget to buy a gift for their mail carriers and nearly 44 million* are likely to forget to buy a gift for their neighbors, according to the survey, which was conducted online nationwide by Harris Interactive on behalf of CashStar from November 6-8, 2012 among 2,104 U.S. online adults aged 18 and older, and examined when online American adults remember to buy gifts and who they end up forgetting. Other people most often forgotten include the people entrusted with childcare, such as teachers and babysitters.

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Despite the rushes reported around Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the survey also revealed that a quarter of online Americans only remember to buy a gift in the days leading up to an event, with nearly 10 million* remembering on the day of the occasion.

"These results reflect how hectic our schedules are, especially during the holidays. Despite our best intentions, we forget important people. Fortunately, technology is again helping to make our lives easier, now in the form of eGift Cards, which can be delivered in an instant from any computer, tablet or smartphone," said David Stone, co-founder and CEO of CashStar. "Hundreds of retailers now enable consumers to send personalized eGift Cards up to the very last minute — even from the doorstep of a holiday party, where the gift can be sent and delivered to the host before they open the door. This year, there really is no excuse to accidentally miss someone and leave them on the Island of Forgotten Gift Recipients."

The CashStar 2012 Last-Minute Shopping Survey also found some other interesting trends:

• Conventional Wisdom is Right – Men were twice as likely to forget a gift until the day of an event compared to women.
• Worst Kids Ever? – Eight million* online adult Americans admitted to forgetting a holiday gift for their parents.
• Bob Cratchit is the Real Scrooge? – When it comes to gifting, 36 million* online Americans confessed to forgetting their bosses, while only 26 million* bosses forgot their employees.
• Look After Our Kid, but Don't Look for a Gift – Nearly 20 million* online Americans said that they forgot the babysitter and nearly 26 million* forgot their child's teacher.  
• Southern Hospitality – People in the South remembered to shop a month in advance, but forgot the babysitter more than other regions of the U.S.

*Calculation based on U.S. Census Bureau's 2010 Census, which estimates there are 234,564,071 million adults ages 18+ residing in the United States, 85 percent or 199,410,000 of which are online.

Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of CashStar from November 6-8, 2012 among 2,104 adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Pauline Louie of Schwartz MSL at [e-mail].

About Harris Interactive

Harris Interactive is one of the world's leading market research firms, leveraging research, technology, and business acumen to transform relevant insight into actionable foresight. Known widely for the Harris Poll® and for pioneering innovative research methodologies, Harris offers proprietary solutions in the areas of market and customer insight, corporate brand and reputation strategy, and marketing, advertising, public relations and communications research. Harris possesses expertise in a wide range of industries including health care, technology, public affairs, energy, telecommunications, financial services, insurance, media, retail, restaurant, and consumer package goods. Additionally, Harris has a portfolio of multi-client offerings that complement our custom solutions while maximizing our client's research investment.  Serving clients in more than 196 countries and territories through our North American and European offices, Harris specializes in delivering research solutions that help us - and our clients - stay ahead of what's next. For more information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.

About CashStar, Inc.

CashStar is the world's leading digital gifting and incentives company, preferred by the world's leading retailers. More than 250 brands leverage CashStar's on-demand B2C and B2B gifting technology and multi-channel marketing strategies. CashStar's brands acquire new customers, drive incremental sales, increase loyalty, and boost profitability by delivering unparalleled personalized, secure, and engaging eGift experiences via email, mobile and social channels. CashStar's clients include Best Buy, Chili's Grill & Bar, Gap, Pottery Barn, QVC, Sephora, Staples, Starbucks, The Cheesecake Factory, The Home Depot, and Williams-Sonoma. To learn more about how CashStar is constantly innovating the way businesses strategically leverage gifting in the digital world, please visit www.cashstar.com or e-mail [e-mail].

Contact: Pauline LouieSchwartz MSL [e-mail] [phone]

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