Being on Santa’s “nice list” pays well, according to a new study: Parents whose kids believe in Santa plan to spend over $100 more on gifts this year than their non-believing counterparts.
The poll of 2,000 U.S. parents who celebrate Christmas found 68% of kids aged 18 or younger believe in Santa, while 27% do not.
And compared to each other, the average Santa-believing child’s parent plans to spend $491 on gifts this year, whereas their non-believing peers only spend $388.
The most expensive gifts kids are asking for from Santa are $205, on average. But only 35% of parents think that’s “too expensive.”
Commissioned by Slickdeals and conducted by Talker Research, the study showed believing in Santa also makes Christmas morning more exciting.
Kids who believe in Ol’ Saint Nick are twice as likely to be excited for Dec 25th than non-believers (87%, compared to 41%).
Kids who believe in Santa are slated to get seven gifts on average, compared to non-believers, who will be getting four.
Parents are getting their kids clothing (57%), electronics (36%), video games (26%), books (26%), puzzles and games (24%) and candy (23%) for the holiday this year.
Nearly a quarter of parents (23%) said their kids have also asked for gifts they don’t necessarily like but want in order to fit in with other kids. A third (36%) said their kids are likely to compare what they got for Christmas with their friends.
“Believing in Santa seems to bring extra magic to the holidays for families,” said Elizabeth Simer, Chief Business Officer at Slickdeals. “Parents of Santa-believers may feel more urgency to make each Christmas memorable, which could explain the higher spending.”
The study also revealed that a majority of parents (56%) have used the threat of the naughty list or something similar to get their kids to behave ahead of Christmas.
Of course, this was found to be a much more common tactic for Santa-believing kids than their non-believing peers (70%, compared to 50%).
Forty-one percent of parents whose kids believe in Santa said their kids take the nice and naughty list “very seriously” — although 87% admitted the list is arbitrary. They’d likely get their kids gifts, even if they ought to be on the naughty list.
Parents said they were also fairly split on which gifts should come from themselves and from the Big Guy Up North. According to them, 51% of their kids’ gifts come from Santa and 49% come from themselves.
Forty-eight percent said they reserve their kid’s most sought-after gifts from Santa.
A third (31%) of parents whose kids don’t believe in Santa try to replicate that special feeling by saving their kid’s most sought-after gifts for last.
“Regardless of whether kids believe in Santa or not, making holiday budgets stretch further is a universal goal,” added Simer. “By tapping into a vast community like ours, parents can find the best deals to make Christmas morning magical—no matter who’s leaving gifts under the tree.”
Survey methodology:
Talker Research surveyed 2,000 American parents who celebrate Christmas; the survey was commissioned by Slickdeals and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between Nov. 22 and Nov. 27, 2024.
We are sourcing from a non-probability frame and the two main sources we use are:
Traditional online access panels — where respondents opt-in to take part in online market research for an incentiveProgrammatic — where respondents are online and are given the option to take part in a survey to receive a virtual incentive usually related to the online activity they are engaging in
Those who did not fit the specified sample were terminated from the survey. As the survey is fielded, dynamic online sampling is used, adjusting targeting to achieve the quotas specified as part of the sampling plan.
Regardless of which sources a respondent came from, they were directed to an Online Survey, where the survey was conducted in English; a link to the questionnaire can be shared upon request. Respondents were awarded points for completing the survey. These points have a small cash-equivalent monetary value.
Cells are only reported on for analysis if they have a minimum of 80 respondents, and statistical significance is calculated at the 95% level. Data is not weighted, but quotas and other parameters are put in place to reach the desired sample.
Interviews are excluded from the final analysis if they failed quality-checking measures. This includes:
Speeders: Respondents who complete the survey in a time that is quicker than one-third of the median length of interview are disqualified as speedersOpen ends: All verbatim responses (full open-ended questions as well as other please specify options) are checked for inappropriate or irrelevant textBots: Captcha is enabled on surveys, which allows the research team to identify and disqualify botsDuplicates: Survey software has “deduping” based on digital fingerprinting, which ensures nobody is allowed to take the survey more than once
It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with internet access, and the results may not be generalizable to those without internet access.
