Romanians living in urban areas have an average budget of RON 300 (some EUR 67) for St. Nicholas gifts, according to a study conducted by Mednet Marketing Research Center.

The number of those who wish to “spoil” the loved ones with gifts, even if they have a lower value, is higher in small cities (93.2%) compared to larger cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants (87.7%), reports local Agerpres.

However, a positive evolution is also noticed in the case of large cities with over 100,000 inhabitants, when it comes to those who plan to offer gifts. Last year, less than 80% of these Romanians expressed their intention to buy St. Nicholas gifts, but the number grew by some 10 percentage points this year.

Sweets remain the Romanians’ preferred gifts, 70% saying that they plan to give sweet presents. Toys, clothing and footwear items, cosmetics and perfumes, and fruits are also popular choices. Moreover, 12% of urban Romanians plan to offer smartphones or tablets as gifts while some will just give money instead of actual presents.

The study was conducted between November 26 and December 2, on a sample of 800 people from urban areas.

Romanians plan to spend a third of their income on Christmas presents

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