Be a Hugger

Southern hospitality made way for southern gratitude in a new survey on thanking behaviors — and it turns out hugging is in style.

The survey, from TD Bank, looked at ways people to give and receive thanks, both from each other and companies. Results include:

When thanking someone, 36% of people from the south prefer to give someone a hug, while 27% choose to write a personal note;

A solid majority, 85%, of southern respondents prefer being thanked in person. And nearly four out of 10, 38%, say that in-person gratitude is best when it comes in the form of a hug;
Another solid majority, 76% of respondents, say they're more likely to be a loyal customer because of gratitude expressed by a brand or company.