Wondering what to give the happy couple for their wedding this summer? A new study by Retrevo says that over half of the people they queried said they wanted consumer electronics over any other kind of wedding gift. What does this mean for gift-givers? Camcorders are the new blender! Throw out the fondue set, and go for a more tech savvy gadget gift.
The study shows that 52 percent of people preferred “CE” wedding gifts over more traditional gift categories including large and small home furnishings, kitchen hardware, and kitchen appliances. Both men and women listed a camcorder at the top of their CE wedding wish list (38 percent). Digital cameras came in second (24 percent). Surprisingly, however one gadget came in last: the MP3 player.
Of course, Apple’s iPod still seems to be the hottest gadget in the MP3 world with a recent Piper Jaffray study indicating 100 percent of teens will buy an iPod and no other MP3 player, less than 2 percent of Retrevo’s survey takers claimed to want an MP3 player as a wedding gift.
Andrew Eisner, Retrevo’s director of conten, explains the MP3 player discrepancy. “In the traditional sense, wedding gifts are practical, coveted, or sentimental items that the couple can share,” says Eisner. “Wedding gifts are intended to help the couple in this new phase of their life. Not only do most newlyweds already have an MP3 player, but it’s a gadget that tends to isolate the recipients rather than bring them together. The bottom line; if you’re going to give someone a wedding gift, get them a camcorder, not an iPod.”
Who knows, maybe modern wedding-goers will get in the habit of throwing flash drives instead of rice.