When it comes to choosing a gift, consumers shopped at the world's largest retailer, according to the just published Gifting Report 2007 from Unity Marketing.

Compiled from surveys in 2006 of more than 2,800 gift givers, the report found that Wal-Mart was gift shoppers' favorite destination, chosen by 42% of consumers, followed by Target, a source for 31% of gift customers last year. Discount department stores were the top choice for gift shoppers in all eight gift product categories included in the survey.

According to the report, the typical gift giver spent $2,643 on gift purchases in 2006, with an additional $78 spent on gift cards, wrapping paper, ribbons and other gifting accessories. This represents an increase of 13.5% over the average amount spent by gifters in 2005, the report said.

"In 2006, gift shoppers spent more of their gift-giving budgets on occasion-driven gifts that occur throughout the year such as birthdays, anniversaries, travel souvenirs, friendship gifts ...as opposed to holiday gifts," said Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing.

Danziger added that retailers "typically do a very good job serving gift shoppers for those predictable holidays-Christmas, Mother's Day. Valentine's Day and Father's Day are the top-ranked gifting holidays, but they (retailers) need to develop strategies to make their stores a better destination for gift shopping all … year (long)."

She said nearly 42% of gift shoppers' annual budgets were spent buying gifts for gifting occasions, as compared to 38.5% in 2005. "There is no longer a single gifting 'season,'" Danziger said. " ... In 2006, consumers spent an estimated $300 billion buying gifts, which is roughly 10% of the total $3 trillion consumer retail market."

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