Unwrapping Memories: Moms Implement More Intentional Gift Giving This Holiday Season, Prioritizing Long-Lasting Toys That Foster Togetherness, Imagination, and Creativity

As new data shows moms are shifting their holiday shopping habits amid inflation and becoming increasingly mindful of gifting this year, online retailer Zulily makes the holiday shopping experience easier with personalized deals on a wide variety of toys from the most iconic brands

SEATTLE, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As household budgets tighten amid ongoing inflation and 85 million moms in the U.S.¹ prepare for the 2022 holiday shopping season, new data from online retailer Zulily reveals that moms' desire to pile toys under the tree remains strong, but inflation pressures are causing them to be more intentional about the gift purchases they are making for family and friends this year.² This holiday season, Zulily is offering moms early deals on some of the most recognized, trusted and iconic brand names she'll remember from her childhood, like LEGO^®, Play-Doh^®, Fisher-Price,^® Little Tikes^®, and more, to provide exactly what she's shopping for and make her holiday shopping experience a little easier, fun, and affordable.

Despite inflation hitting a 41-year high in July, gifting toys to close loved ones will remain a priority for moms this holiday season, according to Zulily's nationwide survey of 1,000 moms. Forty-three percent shared that they get joy out of buying toys for their kids and they would miss out on the excitement if they were to change the number of gifts they bought. Although 33% of moms are planning to spend less this holiday as they try to balance household budgets, they're not planning to gift any less to their close families or friends this year. Instead, they're evaluating the return on the investment and looking for long-lasting, high-quality gifts and toys that promote creativity and spending memorable time together with loved ones, at great prices.

"Inflation is having a significant impact on the shopping habits of moms, who normally hold the purse strings for the household budget and buy holiday gifts for the entire family. As they set priorities for holiday gift giving, we discovered that their relationship with traditional gift giving has shifted, but they still consider toys a staple, not a discretionary item," said Joe Glass, Zulily's Toy Expert. "Moms are saving room in their budgets for toys because they invoke an emotional connection and bring joy to children at holiday time. Zulily is positioned to provide the most value for her holiday dollar with an assortment of popular toy brands that are truly iconic, at prices that won't break the bank."

The Early Bird Gets the "Gift-Wrapped" Worm
Fifty three percent of moms claimed to be inconsistent in planning their purchases in advance before inflation started to rise, but now they're planning mindfully to score early deals and outsmart inflation. Forty-two percent more shoppers worldwide and 37% more in the U.S. are planning to buy gifts earlier as a way to get better deals, help protect household budgets, and still spread holiday cheer this year.³

Iconic Toys Through the Decades
Zulily's toy team curated thousands of toys this holiday season, including some of the most iconic toys and brands through the decades to ease the search for the perfect, quality gifts that will last year after year.

• One brick, a million possibilities: Twenty-five percent of moms consider a toy's ability to promote their children's imagination without bounds as a characteristic of an iconic toy brand. Having recently celebrated its 90^th anniversary, toy icon The LEGO^® Group is not only synonymous with creativity, but they also encourage young users to shape the well-known bricks into fantastical creations of their own. From traditional creations, such as the LEGO^® Classic 11008 Bricks & Houses, to more contemporary kits inspired by the year's hottest movies, like the LEGO^® Jurassic World 76944 T-Rex Dinosaur Breakout, giving the gift of LEGO^® means giving the gift of inspiration.
• Over six decades and one billion dolls sold: With kids' awareness of the financial constraints caused by inflation, they're already expecting fewer gifts overall this year, according to 39% of moms. So, moms are leaning into quality toys and buying from brands they already know and trust to be long-lasting and high-quality. When Mattel, Inc. introduced her in 1959, Barbie^® became a toy chest staple, and many moms can remember being gifted their first doll as a child. With a multitude of interests and careers, moms can find the perfect Barbie^® dolls and accessories for their little ones on Zulily, whether they're fashion-minded, adventurous, or aspire to be a teacher, gymnast, or doctor.
• Half a century delighting the kid in all of us: To extend the play value of toys and gifts, 27% of moms are looking to give gifts that promote creativity and togetherness with their children. For nearly 50 years, KidKraft, Inc. has been delivering toys 'made for make believe' – and this holiday, Zulily has an assortment of KidKraft^® toys that immediately transform playtime to together-time while encouraging creativity. From trying their hands at painting and drawing with the KidKraft^® Easel Art Desk to scrubbing the deck and walking the plank with the KidKraft^® Pirate's Cove Play Set, all ages will be inspired.
• After the unboxing, the memories remain: Following the flurry of wrapping paper and ribbons, it's really about the moments that family and friends will cherish after the holiday season. And following several years of pandemic-induced travel and gathering restrictions, it's the desire to create memories that 35% of moms are hoping to capture through gift giving this year. Crayola^® has been helping families create memories they will cherish forever since 1885 with its vibrant collection of arts supplies. Moms can give the ultimate gift for any little artist with Zulily's assortment of Crayola^® art supplies and tools and watch as their children create works of art today that will become the family heirlooms of tomorrow.

Zulily's Santa's Workshop – a dedicated shopping destination for holiday toys with savings up to 50% off – keeps shopping fun and full of cheer by making it easy for moms to find the perfect toy gift at a great price as they redefine their gifting habits and seek more quality toys that offer value for their children. Plus, they can enjoy free shipping on all orders $89 and above.

For more information and gift giving inspiration, visit Zulily's The Find and check-out the Top Toy List for 2022, which features this year's hottest toys from brands kids love, including KidKraft^®, PicassoTiles^®, Learning Resources^®, Melissa & Doug, and more.

Methodology: Findings are based on a Pollfish survey of over 1,000 U.S. based moms between the ages of 25-44, with kids aged 18 or below. The survey was fielded in July 2022.

About Zulily^®
Online retailer Zulily helps moms around the world discover incredible deals and fresh style for themselves, their families and their homes. Zulily launches thousands of products at amazing values each day, curating personalized shopping experiences that include apparel and footwear for the whole family, toys, home décor, and so much more. Zulily's app uses compelling video and imagery to bring more than 15,000 big name brands and boutique finds to life on mobile.

Zulily is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, with locations in Nevada, Ohio, and China. With expertise in technology, merchandising, creative production, logistics, marketing, customer service, and more, Zulily team members work together to deliver a fun and engaging shopping experience that sparks discovery, connection and entertainment. Zulily has passed millions in savings onto its customers since its first sale in 2010. For more information visit, www.zulily.com or The Find by Zulily, or follow @Zulily on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. For vendors interested in selling on Zulily, visit www.sell.zulily.com

Zulily, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Qurate Retail, Inc. (NASDAQ: QRTEA, QRTEB, QRTEP).Qurate Retail Inc. is a Fortune 500 company that includes QVC^®, HSN^®, Zulily and the Cornerstone brands (collectively, "Qurate Retail Group^SM"), as well as other minority interests and green energy investments. Qurate Retail Group is dedicated to providing a more human way to shop. Qurate Retail Group is the largest player in video commerce (vCommerce), which includes video-driven shopping across linear TV, ecommerce sites, digital streaming and social platforms. For more information, visit www.qurateretailgroup.com, or follow @QurateRetailGrp on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, or follow Qurate Retail Group on YouTube or LinkedIn.

¹ Source: US Census Bureau, Profile America: Facts for Features
² Source: Survey conducted by Pollfish on behalf of Zulily in July 2022 of over 1,000 U.S. based moms between the ages of 25-44 with kids 18 and under. 
³Salesforce Shopping Index survey from June 2022

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SOURCE Zulily