SALT LAKE CITY— Hearts remain as open as ever. However, as the cost of almost everything has risen in recent years, people’s wallets have tightened. As a result, study after study has shown that people are simply unable to give as much as they would like. Surprisingly, group gifting is becoming more popular.
Shelley Hunter works for eGifter, a digital gifting company. She shared data with me that showed that as prices rise, people are finding ways to give as a group rather than individually.
Since 2023, the average value of a group gift has increased by 8%, to $420.29. And the individual contribution of everyone in that group has increased by 6%.
“People want to contribute,” Hunter explained. “And they give a little more cause they’re not handling all the other things that go along with giving a gift.”
Emergency or last-minute gifts, which average $820, are typically the most valuable group gifts. Typically, it takes the form of a gift card for a food delivery service.
“Food is the new flowers or the new casserole in a crisis,” said Hunter.
It’s not just about crises.
Celebrating life’s milestones is the most popular reason for group gifting. According to eGifter, 49.7% of all group gifts purchased were for events such as weddings, babies, and retirements.
People are also making larger contributions to group gifts for coaches and teachers. In fact, the study discovered that only one group of people has seen a decrease in the value of the group gifts they receive.
“I’m sorry, bosses,” Hunter said. “But they had the lowest level of contribution.”
Retirement gifts attract the largest number of contributors, with an average of 14 people per gift. Emergencies receive the highest individual contribution to a group gift, at $81.85 per person, indicating that wallets still open up when it matters.
