Boomer Holiday Gifting

Gift giving for grown-ups during the holiday season can be a daunting task.  What is the "can't go wrong" gifting idea for those of us who have built a family and no longer find stuffed animals or video games to be quite so appealing?  What do your older friends and loved ones want?  These are the questions most of us will ponder, again, this Christmas season.

Marketers across a broad range of industries have figured out that women influence 80 percent of consumer purchases...and...boomer women have greater discretionary income than any generation in U.S. history.  Plus Baby Boomers and 50+ consumers are at least as likely to switch brands and experiment with new products as teens and other younger cohorts. 

The Web has become deeply embedded in our daily lives, for business and pleasure. 

Today, 71 percent of American households have Web access.  eCommerce has survived 12 years on the Web, evolving considerably over that time.  One of the biggest challenges and opportunities is the growing importance of search.  More people than ever are expected to shop online this holiday season.  "What we've seen is that the demographics of shopping online have begun to more closely mirror America in general," says Raul Vazquez, chief marketing officer at www.Walmart.com.

Prepaid gift cards comprise consumers' top holiday purchase.

Since 2004, approximately two thirds of consumers buy prepaid gift cards.  That represented a $35 billion consumer market in 2005 and the prepaid card has expanded to corporate, government and customer gift, rewards, benefit and expense reimbursement programs.

Expect ongoing experimentation with prepaid gifting...like the new feature that allows users of Apple Computer Inc.'s popular iTunes to buy a song, album or video and give it to another user.

If you thought Baby Boomers were behind the times, think again. 

More and more older Americans are learning how to make the most of computers, cell phones, and the latest high-tech gizmos, according to Sandy Berger, online Computers & Technology Host for the AARP, and president of her own computer consulting company, Computer Living Corp.  "There are 78 million Baby Boomers in the U.S., and even more beyond the age of Boomers," said Berger. "While they didn't grow up with computers, they are overcoming fear and zooming into the new age of technology with enthusiasm.   As of today, 22 million of these individuals are online where they spend $7 billion annually."