What is this year’s Christmas gift?
How do you find a single Christmas gift that works for a neighbor, a mother or a close friend? And that you might want for yourself? This is the challenge HUI Research faces every year when they select a product in the retail sector to be the Christmas gift of the year – a tradition that started in 1988 as an initiative to support the Swedish trade. The gifts presented as the Christmas gift of the year have been both unexpected, innovative and sometimes completely obvious: a classic wok pan, robot vacuum cleaner, a tool and a cookbook. At the same time as this year’s Christmas gift is presented, HUI Research also releases a forecast for how Swedes’ Christmas shopping will look this year. According to a report from the Swedish Trade Federation, Christmas shopping is a large part of the retail trade’s annual turnover. December is the month when we consume the most – and buying toys, electronics, books and home furnishings seems to top the list of purchases.
How to choose this year’s Christmas gift
Selecting a single Christmas gift that will be a hit for an entire country may seem difficult, but there are three criteria that guide the choice. One is that the product should have a high sales value or be sold in large volumes, the second is that it should be a novelty or something that has a new interest. The third criterion is that the product should be able to represent the times we live in right now.
– The criterion that it should be a product that reflects our time cannot be measured qualitatively; it is a subjective assessment. But it is also exciting that you can use that criterion to look back and see what the time looked like right there and then,” says Emma Hernell, Deputy CEO of HUI Research.
She describes that the process of choosing this year’s Christmas gift can be difficult at times, but it can also be very rewarding when the forecast is right.
– Every year, it’s a challenge to find a product that many people feel engaged and enthusiastic about. You want to find something that everyone can wish for as a Christmas present, or that feels new and exciting to many. But then it’s always difficult to find something that works for everyone,” says Emma Hernell and continues:
– The recycled garment was a Christmas gift that really had a big sales boom a couple of years ago. And what’s great is that we can say that we managed to predict it just before sales took off and then continued to grow. So we were really right on time with that forecast. What was also fun was that there were a lot of people who could imagine buying a second-hand garment as a Christmas present that year,” she says.
Are resale value and sustainability aspects that you have in mind when choosing this year’s Christmas gift?
– It absolutely could be, and I think it’s very interesting to look at it more because it can really reflect the time we live in. If you compare with the 60s, it’s not quite the same wear and tear, but today many more goods have a second-hand value. There are many more products today that you will be able to resell to others, or be able to take apart and sell parts of. Something that also has a second-hand value.
What is the process of selecting this year’s Christmas gift?
– We follow retail developments closely throughout the year, and know which sectors are doing well. So in connection and dialogue with retailers and industry organizations, we find out which products may be relevant for Christmas shopping. Then we usually end up with a list of potential products that have done well. Then our team selects a suitable candidate in consultation,” says Emma Hernell.
What aspects do you think will characterize this year’s Christmas gift in the future?
– We are in the middle of that work, so I cannot say anything about it. But I feel that we succeeded well last year, when we chose the storm kitchen as this year’s Christmas gift. Because when you look back, it will represent the time we lived in, when many used the forest and land as a meeting place.
The event ticket became the Christmas gift of the year 2021
This year’s Christmas gift has become a phenomenon that seems to take on a life of its own and gets just as much attention every winter as Christmas approaches. According to the Swedish Trade Federation, four out of ten people thought that the environment and sustainability were important when shopping for Christmas presents last year. And looking back at the latest candidates for this year’s Christmas gift, they have clearly shown that the current social focus – the environment, sustainability and social interaction, have been particularly important aspects.
This year’s Christmas gift continues in the same vein. After a year and a half of being forced to keep our distance from other people, work from home and have fun at home or outdoors, we have a pent-up need to socialize and experience things together. That’s why this year’s 2021 Christmas gift is the event ticket.
The all-time Christmas gift of the year – a complete list
Christmas gift of the year 2021: The event ticket
If 2020 stood out as the year we spent time in nature and cooked on the stove, 2021 represents the year we long to socialize and experience together. Culture, sports and socializing – the event ticket represents the joy of revisiting interests such as theatre, concerts, football matches and art exhibitions.
Christmas gift of the year 2020: Storm Kitchen
The fact that the Storm Kitchen was the Christmas gift of the year last year can be seen as a symbol of an increased focus on outdoor life in the wake of the pandemic, but it also shows that there was a strong interest in nature, health and the environment. At the same time, the Storm Kitchen is a timeless product, with a clear resale value.
Christmas gift of the year 2019: The mobile box
A few decades earlier, the Christmas gift of the year helped to highlight the mobile phone as a product, but this year we would choose to put it away in a mobile phone box. A symbol of the digital society taking a big place in our everyday lives, it gave us the opportunity to think about how apps, technology and streaming should be used in the future.
Christmas gift of the year 2018: The recycled garment
As more and more people start to question how clothes are produced and recycled, more second-hand shops are appearing on social media and online. With the recycled garment as this year’s Christmas gift, it is clear that the issue is relevant – in other words, a good example of how the environmental focus of the time can contribute to which products are selected.
Christmas gift of the year 2017: the electric bike
During that year, the introduction of an electric vehicle bonus made many people curious enough to buy an electric bicycle. The battery development, together with the desire to be flexible in both urban and rural areas, were also two aspects that made the electric bike stand out.
Christmas gift of the year 2016: VR glasses
VR technology became a new arena for both the movie and gaming industries, and this year the technology started to become increasingly accessible. The big breakthrough for VR glasses may not be here yet, but the technology is definitely here to stay.
Christmas gift of the year 2015: The robot vacuum cleaner
The robot vacuum cleaner was yet another product aimed at making the life puzzle work. This made a robot vacuum cleaner an obvious choice for many people to have at home – even as a highly visible detail in the home.
Christmas gift of the year 2014: The activity bracelet
Being active and able to measure progress is a motivator – something that was discovered this year. The activity wristband became an aid to exercise planning, although different mobile phone solutions also competed for a share of the market.
Christmas gift of 2013: The raw juice centrifuge
The kitchen has always been an exciting arena for new Christmas gift purchases. When mixing up a yogurt smoothie was no longer as popular, freshly squeezed juice took over the baton. And the best thing was to squeeze the fruit yourself. In with the raw juice centrifuge – out with precious drops.
Christmas gift of the year 2012: Headphones
Being able to block out ambient noise and listen to radio, music or audiobooks with high sound quality became more important in an increasingly digital world. Mobile phones enabled streaming of audio media in various forms and therefore headphones became more important.
Christmas gift of the year 2011: The pre-packed lunch box
The pre-packed grocery bag became a symbol of how the modern life puzzle could be solved, and another example of how household services were gaining traction among online retailers. Having food delivered to your door was revolutionary for many, and who wouldn’t be happy to receive a well-stocked fridge for Christmas?
Christmas gift of the year 2010: the tablet
As streaming services became an increasingly important part of everyday life, desktop and laptop computers seemed less suited to a mobile life. The tablet appealed to the idea of a modern and flexible digital everyday life where reading and studying could be done anywhere.
Christmas gift of the year 2009: The nail mat
The nail mat became a symbol of a life of well-being, with many seeking a balance between recovery and stressful days. And indeed, some found that the spiked mat helped in the quest for good quality sleep and better stress management.
Christmas gift of the year 2008: The experience
Choosing an experience as a gift was a milestone, as this was the first time that HUI Research chose a service as the Christmas gift of the year. The choice of the experience as the Christmas gift of the year was characterized by sustainability thinking and a greater focus on the use of services.
Christmas gift of the year 2007: GPS receiver
The importance of the GPS receiver to the digital society cannot be underestimated. It was revolutionary at the time, as it no longer relied on map reading or directions. Today, however, the mobile phone’s GPS has taken over more of the function of the separate GPS receiver.
Christmas gift of the year 2006: The audiobook
The physical audiobook consisted of several CDs that were listened to in the car or on the stereo at home. Audiobooks were popular, but expensive to buy. Today, they have been almost completely replaced by streaming services – but the audiobook trend is probably bigger than ever.
Christmas gift of the year 2005: A poker set
Internet gambling gave rise to a strong poker trend this year. Famous poker celebrities boosted its popularity and brought more people to the poker table.
Christmas gift of the year 2004: The flat screen TV
The DVD player increased the demands on TV sets. As a result, the standard large-screen TV became increasingly larger in size. This opened up a new market for slimmer and flatter sets. As the picture quality of flat-screen TVs also improved, the large-screen TVs were outcompeted, and the flat-screen TV became an obvious interior design item for the trend-conscious.
Christmas gift of the year 2003: The hat
The beanie may seem like a timeless detail, but it was chosen this year as a symbol of the growing sports and outdoor trend. As the desire to spend time in nature has continued, the value of second-hand and sought-after outdoor accessories has also increased.
Christmas gift of the year 2002: The cookbook
In the early 2000s, the cookbook went from being a strict manual to becoming an evocative and sought-after description of how food and lifestyle could be combined. Books generally increased in sales during the year, but the cookbook was particularly popular.
Christmas gift of the year 2001: A tool
The DIY trend was boosted by popular TV shows that invited people to both build houses and build decks. Since then, many garages have been filled with tools from floor to ceiling – perhaps we’ll see a greater focus on used tools in the future?
Christmas gift of the year 2000: DVD player
Once we got used to being able to select songs on a CD, it made sense to be able to quickly select movies as well. This opened up a market for the DVD, which allowed for a much higher picture quality than the VHS format.
Christmas gift of 1999: The book
This year, HUI research saw that the book became a bestseller as the Bible was published in a new translation. Perhaps the choice can also be seen as a reaction to the electronic focus that existed in previous years.
Christmas gift of 1998: The computer game
At the end of the 1990s, home computers started to gain performance that allowed computer games to compete with video games. Popular games were Age of Empires and SimCity 2000.
Christmas gift of the year 1997: Electronic pet
The electronic pet, in the form of Tamagotchi, among others, became an obvious toy for many children. However, it did not become widely used by many age groups, and today the electronic pet is a dormant retro gadget. But maybe it will soon be brought back to life?
Christmas present of the year 1996: the Internet package
An internet package, including a modem, cable and installation disk, was the Christmas gift of the year this year, marking the start of the internet revolution. The internet was here to stay in every home.
Christmas gift of 1995: The CD
If you have a CD player, you obviously need a CD to play. Since the CD player was already the Christmas present of the year a couple of years earlier, it was the turn of the records this time. Who didn’t wish for Absolute Music, Oasis or The Cardigans that year?
Christmas gift of 1994: the mobile phone
Mobile phones had been available in some circles since the early 1980s, but by the mid-1990s they were becoming more common. The development of the GSM network was a contributing factor, simplifying wireless communication.
Christmas gift of the year 1993: A fragrance (perfume)
It’s not easy to understand why perfume got a hype this particular year. Looking back, many people probably associate perfume more with the glamorous 80s than the early 90s, when the financial crisis was raging. But the reason for the surge in interest was a tax change that led to a significant increase in sales of beauty products.
Christmas gift of 1992: The video game
In the early 90s, video games moved into every home, with manufacturers such as Sega, Nintendo and Commodore competing for children’s attention. Video games still hold their own today, despite competition from computer and mobile games. Older consoles have a cult following and can still have a high value.
Christmas gift of 1991: CD player
In the early 1990s, vinyl players were a thing of the past and the long playing time and crackle-free sound of CDs represented the future. Today, few people buy new CDs, but some older releases, like vinyl, are starting to regain their value.
Christmas gift of the year 1990: Woken
Asian cooking became more common as more Swedes went on vacation and demanded Asian food in Sweden as well. The kitchen became the new meeting place and new kitchen utensils became status items for the trend-conscious.
Christmas gift of 1989: The video camera
Watching self-recorded movies was a popular way to relive and collect memories. The video camera therefore played a major role in both private life and the media in the years to come.
Christmas gift of the year 1988: The baking machine
In the 1980s, many people wanted a machine for every household chore, and the kitchen was invaded by various more or less useful household appliances. But the baking machine never caught on and has yet to make its breakthrough.
