Are Men Selfish Gift Givers?

Men admit buying other half presents they’ll enjoy using more themselves.

Four out of ten men admit buying their other half presents – which they will enjoy more themselves, it emerged today.

Image: Homer buys Marge a bowling ball for her birthday in The Simpsons

Games consoles, DVDs, and digital cameras are among the gifts which crafty blokes have splashed out this Christmas which they will get to enjoy too.

Other popular ‘presents’ include an iPod, television and laptop.

It also emerged almost one in six couples will row over his choice of present.

A spokesman for The Perfume Shop, which commissioned the study of 3,000, adults, said:”Many men think Christmas is the perfect opportunity to get something you have wanted for ages.

”But your partner might not feel the same when she opens the gift and realises you are more excited by it than she is.

”Instead of buying a TV or gadget that you know you will get plenty of use out of, you will get a lot more brownie points by treating your wife or girlfriend to something she really wants.”

The study also found six out of ten men have given their partner a present, knowing it was something they wanted too, with more than two thirds doing this at Christmas.

Another 39 per cent do this on birthdays while 19 per cent even buy what they want on anniversaries.

However, researchers found women aren’t as clueless as men think with 36 per cent claiming they knew some of their gifts were things their man could use to.

Blokey DVDs emerged as the item men are most likely to pass off as a gift for their loved one, followed by a digital camera and a laptop.

But while 73 per cent of guys reckon their partner loved the gift, 15 per cent admitted that although their other half pretended to like it, they could tell they weren’t really keen.

In reality though, only 45 per cent of women claim they weren’t bothered when they were given something they knew was really for their partner.

Alongside a holiday and jewellery, perfume is a girl’s top gift for Christmas with 36 per cent listing it as an ideal present from a partner, especially when it’s been luxuriously wrapped.

However the study also revealed more than a quarter of guys admitted they haven’t got a clue what perfume their girlfriend wears, so it seems that girls could end up getting the wrong scent this Christmas.

A spokesperson for The Perfume Shop added: “From this survey, we found out that although many men try to buy a fragrance that they know their other half will like, others are attracted to a brand because of the advertising or a celebrity connection.”

TOP TEN ‘FOR US’ PRESENTS

1. DVDs

2. Digital camera

3. Laptop

4. Tickets to a concert/event

5. A weekend away

6. A holiday

7. iPod

8. Nintendo Wii

9. Computer

10. TV

via Men admit buying other half presents they’ll enjoy using more themselves | swns.com.