or people who celebrate Christmas, it is not uncommon to have the experience of receiving a gift that is unwanted and unoriginal. It may even be the case that an individual may truly want to give their loved one something truly special and unique, however is unable to do so because they lack information about what consumer preferences are possessed by the person for which they are gifting. Ultimately, it can be reasonably assumed that when someone is buying a gift for another they are trying to produce a sufficient amount of amusement and pleasure from the actual, tangible good. If a consumer is successful in evoking this response from their loved one, then it may be the case the gift would fall into the category of a “Novelty Christmas Gift.” In order to determine what a Novelty Christmas Gift is, it is necessary to examine the definition of the word novel and identify what factors influence a consumer’s idea, preference, and opinion about different kinds of Christmas goods. It is important to understand how the concept of novelty Christmas gifts varies because it provides retailers the opportunity to target their products more effectively in the market. In this article, the term “Novelty Christmas Gift” is examined by first, defining the word novel, and second, by discussing two key factors that influence an individuals demand and preference for a particular good: income and age.
Merriam Webster describes the adjective form of ‘novel’ as the quality of something “new and not resembling something formerly known or used,” and similarly provides a second definition as a characteristic representing original or striking conception or style. The word novel is very relevant to the technology and communication revolution currently being experienced by the market. The identification of novel products in the market can aid in profitable investing and indicate product qualities being demanded, such as Internet accessibility.
For example, the iPod is a prime example of a novel Christmas gift. The iPod successfully grasped the attention of the market by providing a music enjoyment not experienced in the past, and proved to be a very profitable venture for Apple and launch pad for new products in the music and computer industries. Not only does it harness both definitions provided by Merriam Webster, but it also gives an example of a gift that can be considered novel by consumers in various income and age categories. An iPod represents a truly novel Christmas gift because when it was first introduced it provided a service and approach to convenient mobile listening never seen before in the market, while also being a representation of clean, modern design, proven to be desired and considered trendy among consumers.
In addition to the definition of novel, considering the affect of age and income among different kinds of goods is useful when determining if a good is a Novel Christmas Gift. Although age and income may have some indirect affect on a consumer’s view of originality, the iPod example shows that a Novel Christmas gift will evoke feelings of modernism regardless of age and income. If a Christmas gift is novel, by definition this means it has not been introduced to the market and is revolutionary in design, characteristics independent of the age or income. It may be possible that age and income directly affect a consumer’s access to the novel Christmas gift. In conclusion, in order to successfully buy a novel Christmas gift for a loved one that will evoke satisfaction, three guidelines should be followed: 1) use and service provided by the product should be something newly introduced to the market 2) have a modern style and design and 3) should be a product considered to be modern and unprecedented among various age and income classes.