For New Life Celebrations, 'Amazon Gift Cards' Are Preferred Over 'Physical Gifts Chosen by the Giver' | Survey on Digital Gifts

Neo Marketing Inc. (Location: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo), which provides marketing support services, conducted an internet research survey on the theme of 'Digital Gifts' targeting men and women aged 20 and older nationwide for four days from Friday, March 13, 2026, to Monday, March 16, 2026. From March to April is the season when demand for celebratory gifts rises due to the start of a new life, such as graduation, university entrance, employment, and moving. In such gifting scenes, cash and physical items have traditionally been the standard. However, in recent years, digital gifts have increased their presence as an option due to the convenience of being able to send them without knowing the recipient's address, and the high degree of freedom for the recipient to use them in a way that suits them. On the other hand, it is also a fact that the sender may have anxieties such as 'Is it rude?' or 'Does it look uninteresting?', and there are situations where acceptance differs depending on the recipient's age and familiarity with digital technology. Therefore, it is easy to get confused about whether cash, physical items, or digital gifts are appropriate. Therefore, in this survey, with 'Digital Gifts' as the theme, we broadly listened to the realities of giving and receiving gifts for new life celebrations, the gifts that make people happy, anxieties and concerns, and future usage intentions. We captured in what situations and by whom digital gifts are accepted, and what the hurdles are. Please use this as a resource for your future marketing activities. 【Survey Overview】 Survey Method: Web questionnaire method using the questionnaire system operated by Neo Marketing Inc. Survey Target: Men and women aged 20 and over nationwide Number of Valid Responses: 1,000 Survey Period: Friday, March 13, 2026 to Monday, March 16, 2026 ◆ Main Questions and Answers from 'Survey on Digital Gifts' ◆ Difficulties when choosing a gift: 'Do not know the recipient's preference' 38.6%, 'Do not know what will make them happy' 33.2%. Although there are variations in intensity depending on the age group, 'Do not know the recipient's preference' and 'Do not know what will make them happy' ranked high across all age groups. It can be seen that for new life celebrations, there are many opportunities to give gifts not only to family and close friends whose preferences are fully grasped, but also to people whose detailed tastes are unknown. ◆ The most pleasing new life celebration gift: 'Amazon Gift Card' surpasses 'Physical present chosen by the giver'. While 'Cash' stood out overall at 48.1%, 'Amazon Gift Card (Digital)' at 11.1% surpassed 'Physical present chosen by the giver' at 10.0%. Particularly among those aged 20-24, digital gifts gained solid support, with 'Amazon Gift Card (Digital)' at 17.0% and 'Electronic money such as QUO Card Pay and PayPay Gift' at 10.0%. Even among those aged 25-29, 'Amazon Gift Card (Digital)' was at 14.0%. We asked about gifts 'given' as 'new life celebrations' such as graduation, university entrance, employment, and moving within the past 3 years. Gifts 'given' as 'new life celebrations' within the past 3 years (n=1,000) Overall, 'Have never given' was the most common response at 63.2%.