Would you let a drone do your holiday work? Survey says yes
Our annual study shows that holiday shoppers looking for tech deals will spend more than last year and do almost all their shopping online, but we uncovered some surprising shifts in shopping habits too.
If you had your way, the majority of you would let drones deliver your holiday shopping.
That's what we discovered when CNET surveyed 1,433 US readers to find out how holiday shopping trends have changed this year. We uncovered some expected results in our poll: the average CNET survey respondent plans to spend nearly $710 on gifts, for example -- $10 more than last year. A whopping 77 percent will buy at least half of their gifts online.
But we encountered a few surprises, too. Fifty-three percent of survey respondents would like a drone to deliver holiday purchases for them if the technology were available, and 69 percent of you think it's quite all right to do some of your holiday shopping while at work. (Feel free to send your boss this infographic if you'd like management to know you're not alone.)
One of the biggest surprises this year? Many of you still want tablets as gifts, despite industry data that suggests global tablet growth will slow to 7.2 percent in 2014, compared with 52.5 percent in 2013. Forty-two percent of shoppers hope to receive a tablet, and 30 percent plan to give one.
New categories popped up in our survey, too. Wearable fitness devices showed up on our list for the fist time as the fifth most popular gift to give. Small kitchen appliances showed up in the fourth most-gifted spot, up from 10th place in 2013.
And although most survey respondents plan to buy gifts for eight people this year, you're making sure you get what you really want, too. Sixty-three precent of our survey takers will treat themselves to a gift before the year is out. Happy holidays, indeed.