SINGAPORE - Both women and men are inaccurate in terms of their perception of the other gender’s holiday shopping habits, according to a new survey of 1200 singles by dating service It’s Just Lunch.

The survey results indicate that women give men far less credit than they deserve. Though 82% of men report shopping anywhere from two to five hours or more to find the perfect gift for the person they are dating, 57% of women believe the last person they dated during the holidays only shopped for an hour or less.

When singles were asked “How much time do you spend holiday shopping for someone you’re dating?” the majority of men and women said "2 or 3 hours" (43% of men, and 46% of women). 

The second choice for both genders was “more than three hours, but less than five hours,” picked by 25% of women and 24% of men.

The least enthusiastic shoppers, who spend an hour or less, were in third place, an option selected by more women (20%) than men (18%).

Men spend more time shopping for their date

The biggest surprise was the difference between the genders among the most extreme shoppers, who spend five hours or more shopping for a holiday gift for their date. 15% of men selected this category compared to only 10% of women.

Both genders underestimated how much time the last person they dated during the holidays spent shopping for them but females had a significantly less optimistic picture than males.

57% of women selected “1 hour or less,” compared to 39% of men. Only 34% of women picked “2 or 3 hours.” Men picked this answer 40% of the time—and were accurate, since 43% of women said that was how much time they spent. Both genders underestimated the 3-5 hour category: Only 6% of women thought the men they dated shopped for this long, and 15% of men selected this option.

The most inaccurate thinking came in the extreme shopping category. Only 3% of women believed their dates spent 5 or more hours shopping for them (compared to the 15% of men who reported shopping for this long).

“It’s human nature to believe that you spend more time trying to make your partner happy than they spend trying to make you happy,” says Anisa Hassan, Managing Director of It’s Just Lunch Asia. “But men are working harder than women are acknowledging.

While the women folk may be stuck in past thinking, this is an encouraging sign indeed for the men. They’re really stepping up!”

Read more here.

Last minute shopping? No worries

Eeks! Christmas is almost here but you're still not done with your shopping? Don't panic. Here are are some gift ideas to suit any budget, from luxurious to casual.