In a new survey conducted by independent market research firm Toluna on behalf of leading online retailer Buy.com, a better economy topped Americans’ shopping list as the one gift they would pick for the world, with more than half of respondents (52 percent) listing an improved economic climate as their gift of choice, mirroring the optimistic outlook already starting to occur with improved holiday spending.

The survey also examined shopping behavior during the holiday season, which resulted in a few surprising discoveries. When respondents were asked why they shop online, nearly half (43 percent) of respondents liked the fact that they can shop while not fully dressed. Women outpaced men in preferring to shop in a state of undress (45 percent versus 42 percent).

Other survey highlights include:

• Wishes for the World – Other issues that were on American’s wish list for the world include ending military involvement overseas, so troops could return home (19 percent) and feeding starving people (10 percent).  The Occupy movement ranked low on consumers’ wish lists, with only eight percent of respondents citing success of the movement in ending corporate greed as their top gift for the world this season.

• Good Cheer to All (including Me!) – Holiday shopping does not just mean gift-giving to others, according to half of young women, ages 18-29 years old.  They plan to buy items for themselves, as well as for others on the gift list.

• Online + Offline, not Versus – Consumers continue to prefer the convenience of e-commerce, with the majority (61 percent) stating that they shop either completely online or at least half of their shopping is done online.

• I Got an App for That! – Nearly half of all respondents and the majority of young men ages 18-29 (80 percent) plan to use their mobile device for shopping.  Of those planning to mobile shop, researching product information was the top use by nearly half (47 percent) of respondents, followed by comparison shopping (45 percent), and consulting a family or friend about a product (43 percent).

“Consumers clearly want to see a change in our economic climate, and that is being demonstrated this holiday season in the increase in sales we are seeing,” said Neel Grover, CEO and president of Buy.com.

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