U.S. Teens Spending Power for Crucial Holiday Season Could Bode Well for Traditional Retailers

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- OTX (Online Testing eXchange), a leading global consumer research and consulting firm, released new results from its Teen Topix study. The Teen Topix survey taps into the complex lives of the 13-17 year old set and is done in conjunction with eCRUSH, a leading PG-13 social networking site. 750 teens across the country were surveyed about their gift buying behavior and preferences for the coming holiday season.

A key finding of the study was that 95% of teens chose shopping at stores and malls, over catalog and online. However, 65% of teens say they use the Internet to find out about new, cool products, friends come in a close second at 62%, and 54% of teens find about new products from commercials on TV.

    Where do you learn about                                     Total
    cool new products?                                           Teens

    Internet                                                     65 %
    Friends                                                      62 %
    Commercials on TV                                            54 %
    Magazines                                                    48 %
    TV shows                                                     38 %
    Shopping                                                     38 %
    Movies                                                       29 %
    Ads in theatres before the movie                             21 %
    Siblings                                                     21 %
    Parents                                                      19 %
    Celebrities                                                  14 %
    Other                                                         2 %
    None of the above                                             5 %


    Please tell us how/where                                     Total
    you plan to shop this holiday                                Teens
    season.

    Electronics store                                            46 %
    Bath/body store                                              45 %
    Music store                                                  41 %
    Chain clothing store                                         38 %
    Mass merchandise store                                       37 %
    Accessory store                                              35 %
    Department store                                             35 %
    Bookstore                                                    35 %
    Sporting goods store                                         29 %
    Athletic shoe store                                          26 %
    Video store                                                  25 %
    Pet supply store                                             24 %
    Cell phone/wireless store                                    23 %
    Discount chain store                                         18 %
    Specialty/local boutique                                     13 %
    Store websites                                               13 %
    Through a catalog or mail order                              12 %
    Home improvement/decorating store                            12 %
    Online store                                                 12 %
    Thrift/secondhand/vintage store                               8 %
    Supermarket/food store                                        8 %
    Online auction site                                           8 %
    Drugstore                                                     4 %
    Convenience store                                             4 %
    Home shopping Network/QVC                                     3 %
    Other                                                         9 %

When asked about specific types of stores they will shop at this holiday season, Electronics (46%), Bath/body (45%), and music stores (41%) led the way. Much lower on the list were store websites (13%), online stores (12%), auction sites (8%), and home shopping channels (3%).

The study also found that holiday shopping remains a social experience as 84% of teens say they will shop with others, while 16% will shop alone, and 74% prefer to shop with their friends, versus 26% who say they would rather shop with their parents.

"As marketers and retailers begin their holiday push, it's critical for them to understand not just where teens shop, but how they find out about new products," said Amy Gibby, President of eCRUSH. "This latest release of Teen Topix data once again confirms that today's teens are social beings who turn to the Internet to find out the latest information."

Teens will spend a combination of their money and "someone else's money'" this holiday season. However 93% of teens plan to spend "their own money" on at least one person. 28% of teens plan to spend "$100 or more" of their own money on their boyfriend/girlfriend, parents (20%), and even grandparents (18%) fall into the "$100 or more" club for these teens.

    Plan to spend "$100 or                                       Total
    more" of my own money on:                                    Teens

    Boyfriend/Girlfriend                                         28 %
    Parents                                                      20 %
    Grandparents                                                 18 %
    Boss                                                         17 %
    Nieces/Nephews                                               15 %
    Siblings                                                     13 %
    Aunts, Uncles or Cousins                                     13 %
    Co-workers (other than boss)                                 11 %
    Teachers                                                     11 %
    Pets                                                          9 %
    Best Friend                                                   9 %
    Classmates                                                    9 %
    Secret Santa(s)                                               8 %
    Other friends                                                 7 %

Teens were also asked what they wanted for the holidays. When asked to select from a list of holiday gifts they wanted, money topped the list (39%), followed by computers (30%), clothes (25%), and cars (24%). However, when asked about the "one" gift they wanted this holiday season, a computer (15%) topped money (12%) and a car (11%).

"The shopping behavior and spending patterns of teens, especially during the holiday season, is of great interest to marketers and retailers," said Bruce Friend, President for Media and Entertainment Insights for OTX. "As this study indicates, teens, like the rest of us, not only think in terms of products they want, but are well aware of and discriminating about the multitude of brands messaging directly to them."

When specifically asked about brands, Apple was the most cited brand in the music technology category, Dell was ranked #1 for computers/laptops, the Motorola RAZR phone led the mobile phone category, and Microsoft's X-Box 360 was the leading video game console, while Halo 3 was the leading video game. Abercrombie and Fitch was the clothing brand most teens say they want and when it comes to cars, Ford and Cheverolet brands were most cited.

    Gifts teen would like this holiday                            Total
    season                                                        Teens

    Money                                                         39 %
    Laptop/desktop computer                                       30 %
    Clothes                                                       25 %
    Car                                                           24 %
    Cell phone                                                    22 %
    Digital camera                                                18 %
    Concert tickets                                               16 %
    Video game/video game technology                              15 %
    Music/music technology                                        15 %
    Trip or vacation                                              10 %
    Shoes/sneakers                                                10 %
    Gift card from favorite store                                  9 %
    Sports equipment                                               7 %
    Jewelry or accessories                                         6 %
    Beauty, skin or hair products                                  5 %
    Sporting event tickets                                         4 %
    DVDs or VHS tapes                                              4 %
    Computer accessories                                           1 %
    Other                                                          9 %
    I don't want anything this holiday season                     17 %



    "If I could ask for one gift this                             Total
    holiday season, it would be . . ."                            Teens

    Laptop/desktop computer                                       15 %
    Money                                                         12 %
    Car                                                           11 %
    Cell phone                                                     9 %
    Video game/video game technology                               8 %
    Concert tickets                                                6 %
    Digital camera                                                 6 %
    Clothes                                                        6 %
    Music/music technology                                         4 %
    Trip or vacation                                               4 %
    Sports equipment                                               2 %
    Gift card from favorite store                                  2 %
    Jewelry or accessories                                         1 %
    Shoes/sneakers                                                 1 %
    Beauty, skin or hair products                                  1 %
    DVDs or VHS tapes                                              1 %
    Sporting event tickets                                         1 %
    Computer accessories                                            -
    Other                                                          7 %
    I don't want anything this holiday season                      3 %

About OTX (Online Testing eXchange)

OTX (Online Testing eXchange) is a global consumer research and consulting firm that has established itself as a leading provider of online-based research. The company specializes in providing innovative, cutting-edge online technology, products and analysis to the marketing, entertainment and advertising communities. OTX has developed the most innovative products available for online research today - products that work to uncover deeper and more profound consumer insight. Today the company is one of the fastest growing research companies in the United States and has offices in Los Angeles, New York, Cincinnati, Miami, Chicago and London, with strategic partners in Japan, Australia, Russia and China.

About eCRUSH

The eCRUSH Network, acquired by Hearst Magazines Digital Media in January 2007, is a group of PG-13 sites related to universal truths of crushing, flirting, and all forms of teen connectivity.

    --  eCRUSH(R) is the original "crush" site -- a way for users to find out
        anonymously if someone they like feels the same about them, with no
        chance of rejection. The site launched on Valentine's Day 1999, and
        has matched close to 1MM users.
    --  eSPIN(R) is a profile-based site that offers the old junior-high game
        with a modern twist. Designed with safety in mind (all youth
        submissions are screened to remove any personally identifiable
        information and inappropriate content before they can be posted), this
        is the premier way for gen-Y to connect, flirt and make new friends
        online. Launched in 2001, eSPIN-the-Bottle(TM) has over 2,500,000
        users and is growing rapidly.
    --  Surveys4Teens is an email based resource for teens who are interested
        in age-appropriate research.  Surveys4Teens has a unique audience of
        over 250,000 teens.


    For more information contact:

    For OTX
    Ajay Durani
    adurani@otxresearch.com
    212-886-5934

    For eCRUSH
    Andrew Palladino (Rubenstein Communications)
    apalladino@Rubenstein.com
    212-843-8482