82% of People Want to See a Sex Toy in Their Stocking This Christmas

Sex toys are high up on many Christmas lists this year, with over 8-in-10 (82%) people saying they’d like to receive one under the tree according research carried out by lingerie and sex toy retailer Ann Summers.

The survey, which received an average of 14,356 responses per question, also found that despite the popularity of sex toys as a gift, over three quarters (76%) of people have never purchased a sex toy for their partner as a gift.

When it comes to the reasons for this, Ann Summers found that 60% of people felt that they didn’t know what their partner would like when it comes to sex toys, so decided against purchasing one. A further 4-in-10 (40%) said they felt too shy to buy and gift a sex toy. Ann Summers have produced a Beginner’s Guide to Sex Toys to help advise would be gift-givers on making a purchase.

When it comes to other gifts, nearly 9-in-10 (88%) respondents said they’d love to receive lingerie as a Christmas gift from their partner. The likelihood of receiving lingerie is higher than a sex toy, with 40% of people saying they’d previously bought sexy lingerie for their partner at Christmas.

Further to looking at gifting habits related to the bedroom, Ann Summers also discovered more about how people’s sex lives change during the festive season. 36% of people said they actually have more sex around Christmas, with the simple fact that we have more free time being the most common reason (79%).

The most popular time for sex over the festive period was at New Year, with almost three quarters (72%) of respondents saying they’re more likely to have sex to see in 2021 than to celebrate Christmas Day (28%).

Laura Whittaker, Senior Manager at Ann Summers, commented on the research, “Buying the perfect gift for a loved one at Christmas time can be a nightmare and cause plenty of headaches! At Ann Summers, we believe in giving the gift of pleasure, so we’re happy to see so many people who would like to improve their own sex life and receive a sex toy for Christmas. However, we can see that confidence and making the right choice are an issue for many gift-givers.

“Talking about sex with your partner is the best way to discover what they do and don’t like, and our guide goes into detail on having these conversations. Not only will it help you find the right gift, you’ll find it improves your sex life in general. Remember, good sex is for life, not just for Christmas!”