EBay gets conflicting signals from Illinois holiday gift shoppers

When it comes to buying holiday gifts, good deals are important to Illinois shoppers. That’s one of the big takeaways from a survey of Illinois holiday gift shopping habits conducted eBay — part of a larger state-by-state analysis of the state of holiday gift shopping.

In fact an overwhelming 98 percent of gift shoppers surveyed in Illinois said that getting a good deal is important to them.

But wait a minute.

EBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) also found that Illinois residents don’t necessarily all seem themselves as thrifty shoppers. Rather, the largest number, 37 percent, referred to themselves as “thoughtful” shoppers.

And this is where it gets really curious and more than a little contradictory.

Even though Illinois gift shoppers may be thoughtful, the thoughtfulness apparently is directed as much at themselves as other possible gift recipients. In fact, a whopping 42 percent of eBay respondents said they are just as likely to buy something for themselves as they are for any other gift recipient they may have had on their lists.

So there.

Thoughtful or thrifty or both, Illinois shoppers no doubt will find a way to buy more gifts for the $738.40 that is said to be the average amount being spent on holiday gifts in the state this year. And how many gifts will people buy? eBay calculated that, on average, the typical Illinois gift shopper will buy 18 gifts this season.

And who will get the preponderance of those packages?

Children are at the top of the list in Illinois, with $237.20 of expenditures going toward gifts for kids, followed by significant others ($139.50) and parents ($87.60).

And the eBay survey of Illinois gift shoppers may shed some light on why Black Friday weekend sales in-store were lower this year nationwide. A significant 31 percent of Illinois gift shoppers said they enjoy shopping for gifts on a tablet because it’s more “relaxing.” Which, of course, means less in-store shopping.

What’s more, Illinois shoppers look to be an especially indulgent lot. Another thirty-one percent of respondents told eBay they like to use their tables or smartphones for shopping while they are relaxing in bed.