A total of 88.4% of Romanians living in urban areas plan to buy St. Nicholas gifts for their loved ones, according to a study conducted by Mednet Marketing Research Center between November 23 and November 28.

A total of 800 people aged between 18 and 65 were interviewed for this study, through the Computer Assisted Web Interviewing method.

The share of those who will buy gifts for their loved ones is higher in small cities (93.8%) compared to larger cities with over 100,000 inhabitants (88%).

In terms of budget, the urban Romanians have allocated an average of RON 318 (EUR 70) for St. Nicholas gifts this year, which is slightly higher than last year’s budget of RON 305 (EUR 67).

However, most respondents (43.8%) said that they are planning to spend between RON 100 (EUR 22) and RON 250 on gifts (EUR 55.4).

In large cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants, the average budget amounts to RON 321 (EUR 71), up from RON 310 (EUR 68) in 2015, and RON 294 in 2014 (EUR 65).

Sweets remained Romanians’ preferred gifts, with 71.2% of respondents saying that they will offer them as gifts this year. Toys, clothes, books, and fruits are also popular choices, but urban Romanians also plan to offer appliances, smartphones, tablets, and holidays as gifts.

Some 800,000 Romanians named Nicolae and Nicoleta, or derivatives of these names, celebrate their name day on St. Nicholas Day, on Tuesday, December 6.

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Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com