'Tis a season of mismatched gifts: 62% of men to give chocolates to their women

And that's not even on women's wishlist.

According to a survey commissioned by the United Overseas Bank Limited (UOB), women need not feel alone if they find themselves at the receiving end of a less-than-desirable gift this Christmas season.

Here's more from UOB:

The top items on women’s wish list this Christmas were designer bags and clothes (34 per cent), shopping vouchers and gift cards (26 per cent) and cosmetics and perfumes (18 per cent).

However, men are more likely to choose chocolates (62 per cent) and novelty gifts (40 per cent) as gifts for the women in their lives.

Ms Gan Ai Im, Managing Director, Cards and Payments, UOB said “It seems men still don’t get what it is that women want. Our survey has found that what women want and what they will receive are two different things, so we decided to share the findings and lend a hand. While chocolates and novelty gifts may be easier choices, women are looking for something a little more personal such as a handbag or a shopping voucher from their favourite retail outlet.”

Women may need to give their men a nudge in the right direction in selecting their gift since men are not scrimping on the cost of the gift.

According to the UOB survey, men are likely to spend the most on their significant other - almost S$200 more than the next priority person on their gift list, their family members.

Interestingly, women plan to spend more on themselves than on family and friends. The survey found that they would spend more than S$500 or 40 per cent of their average Christmas budget on a gift for themselves.

It seems that men are not the only ones who buy the wrong gifts. Women may also need a helping hand in selecting the right gifts to buy for the men in their lives.

The top three items women select to give are chocolates (68 per cent), novelty gifts (42 per cent) and cologne (29 per cent). Apart from chocolates, 20 per cent indicated a preference for some form of gadget (smartphone, tablet, camera), 19 per cent wanted a wallet or watch and another 18 per cent would like shopping vouchers and gift cards.

When the results are combined, the UOB survey found that men and women both voted shopping vouchers and gift cards as the best gift to receive this Christmas, with 22 per cent of total respondents preferring the cash-based gift for the freedom to purchase an item that they really want.