Reveal Marketing Research study: More than half of Romanians are scared, worried and anxious about the 2020 holidays, and 1 in 4 Romanians wants to be healthy for Christmas

• 85% of Romanians said they would stay home, asked how they plan to spend their holidays this year.
• More than half of Romanians (56%) admit that in 2020 they feel negative emotions when it comes to the winter holidays in the current context.
• Regarding gifts, 40% of Romanians say that gadgets would be the best gift to receive.
• 1 in 4 Romanians wishes to be healthy and does not think about material holiday gifts. 

The winter holidays look different this year not only for Romanians, but for the whole world. A Reveal Marketing Research study shows the behavior of Romanians during the 2020 holidays and what are their feelings towards Christmas and the New Year in the context of COVID-19. 

Where do Romanians spend their holidays in 2020?

Asked how they intend to spend their holidays this year, 85% of Romanians said they would stay home. Only 16% of the respondents stated that they intend to visit the family who lives in the same city and only 4% state that they would visit their relatives outside the city. 22% of young professionals and 21% of traditional families are among those who are willing to leave their homes on holidays. In addition, only 5% of the respondents stated that they intend to visit friends in the same city during holidays. The lowest percentage is observed in the case of those willing to travel outside the country for the holidays: only 1% of Romanians chose for this option.

Concern and fear: Romanians main emotions towards the 2020 winter holidays

The study measured Romanians’ emotions regarding the 2020 winter holidays, looking at four categories of emotions grouped as follows: fear / anger, fatigue / boredom, optimism / joy, calm / relaxation. The results show that the highest percentage is recorded in the area of ​​negative emotions such as fear / anger and fatigue / boredom.

More than half of Romanians (56%) say that this year they feel negative emotions when it comes to the winter holidays in the current context. Over a third (33%) of respondents say they feel nervous, worried, anxious or scared when thinking about the holidays in 2020. 12% of Romanians say they feel worried, and among the analyzed segments, retired seniors experience this emotion to the largest extent – 17%.

Almost a quarter of respondents (23%) say they currently feel disappointment, sadness or fatigue. In this area, 12% of respondents say they are disappointed with this year’s holidays.

In terms of positive emotions, 44% of Romanians say they feel optimistic, calm or relaxed. 29% of single adults, followed by 24% of modern families are the most optimistic, compared to the rest of the segments, when asked to assess their feelings about the 2020 holidays.

What gifts do Romanians prefer to receive this year?

In terms of gifts, Romanians would like to receive gadgets the most. According to Reveal Marketing Research data, over 40% of Romanians prefer to find smartphones, tablets, laptops or smartwatches under the Christmas tree. We notice a difference between women and men in this regard, women prefer gadgets to a greater extent than men: 45%, compared to 36% of men with this option. These percentages are interesting because, in general, men were the ones who were most attracted to technology. Today, we notice the dynamics are starting to change. Compared to the rest of the segments, young people are most eager to receive gadgets: single millennials and young professionals have equally selected this option (51% – for each segment).

Over a quarter of respondents (26%) would like to receive Christmas clothes, and among the analyzed segments, those who prefer these gifts the most are traditional families (32%). Single millennials, as we’ve mentioned, are big fans of gadgets, so in terms of clothing, only 16% of them said they prefer to receive holiday clothes.

Reveal Marketing Research data shows that jewelry is also on the gift list of Romanians, with 25% of Romanians who have selected this option when asked what they would prefer to receive for holidays. Then, 21% of all respondents opted for perfume as a Christmas gift. Among the analyzed segments, the most eager to receive a perfume are young professionals, scoring a percentage of 45% for this option.

Among Christmas gifts, an equally popular option is health. 1 in 4 Romanians wishes to be healthy and does not think about material holiday gifts. Moreover, the context of COVID-19 may be an additional reason for respondents to be more concerned about their health. Retired seniors, followed by traditional families, mostly opted for this option when asked what they want for the holidays – 30% and 28%, respectively. On the other hand, only 5% of Romanians would like to receive money as a Christmas gift.

***

About Reveal Marketing Research

Reveal Marketing Research is a full-service market research company, specialized in market research, sociological studies, customer insight, business strategy, market development. With expertise in over 20 industries, Reveal Marketing Research believes that market research is the basis for the right decisions and brand positioning. Qualitative and quantitative solutions have been helping companies in Romania and Europe for 11 years.

Methodology: The method was CAWI (Computer Assisted Web Interview) and 1017 online interviews, were conducted with respondents over the age of 18, on a nationally representative urban and rural sample between 7-12 December 2020. Sampling error: +/- 3%. Trust level: 95%.